Which should you use, tortuous or torturous? The adjective tortuous means full of twists and turns or extremely complicated. The adjective torturous means characterized by, involving, or causing pain or suffering. Do not confuse tortuous with torturous.
| Incorrect: |
He used the figure to describe a torturous argument that twists and turns.
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| Correct: |
He used the figure to describe a tortuous argument that twists and turns.
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| Incorrect: |
He has endured a lifetime of lingering injuries and tortuous memories.
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| Correct: |
He has endured a lifetime of lingering injuries and torturous memories.
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