circuitous
2 synonyms and 3 antonyms for circuitous, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Not straightforward or to the point.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
2. adj
Describing a route that is long and full of twists and turns.
“The train service on this circuitous route to the City was withdrawn during the 1914-1918 war, and never restored. The track between Addison Road and Ravenscourt Park was removed, and the site is now occupied by blocks of flats.”
Opposites
Etymology
First recorded in 1664, from Latin circuitōsus, from circuitus, from circumeō (“to go around”), from circum (“around”) plus eō (“to go”). Analysed at face value, it is circuit plus -ous.
Full origin of circuitous →