‘Torturous’ and ‘Tortuous’

Instructions for use often warn against confusion torture And winding. These words have quite different meanings, but one of them is often used in place of the other. This type of mixture is due to the fact that torture And winding etymologically related, and also simply because the two words look similar.

zigzag mountain road

Origins of ‘crooked’ and ‘torture’

Both winding And torture come from Latin torquemeans “twisted.” Winding has retained meanings closely related to this root, including “marked by repeated twists, turns, or turns”, “marked by devious or indirect tactics”. ” and “windy”. tortureon the other hand, carries a meaning more related to torture And painsuch as “very uncomfortable or painful”, “tortured” and “very difficult or slow”.

Examples of confusion

The most common misuse of these words is torture (“painful”) where winding (“crooked”) is required.

An essay by Richard John Neuhaus follows a winding road to the startling last sentence: “That is why, I reluctantly conclude, atheists cannot be good citizens. “— washington articlesMay 3, 2020

I am afraid that, despite his thoughtful, clear and convincing analysis, we still have a long and arduous road ahead of us.— New York TimesFebruary 9, 2020

Along with the price increase, there will be shortages, as many products will have to take a winding road to Ireland or be blocked altogether.— Irish Times (Dublin, IR), January 16, 2019

Overlapping background

It should be noted that something can easily be described by either of these adjectives. Climbing a mountain is both arduous and tortuous is possible torture And winding.

Without food or shelter for 15 days, he survived freezing temperatures at 12,000 feet while “crawling, sliding, and sliding to safety over 20 winding miles of what is considered to be a highland. insurmountable even for trained climbers,” reported The Times.— Steve Harvey, LA timeOctober 17, 2010

However, in cases where the surrounding context does not make it clear which word is called, the writer may want to choose another word (such as winding or painful).

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Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn

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