noun
labyrinth
LAB-uh-rihnth
noun
1
A complicated network of winding paths or passages that is hard to find your way through; a maze.
"The old palace had a labyrinth of hallways that confused every visitor."
2
Something highly complex or confusing in structure, especially rules, bureaucracy, or arguments.
"Getting the visa approved meant navigating a labyrinth of paperwork."
3
The maze-like inner ear structure responsible for hearing and balance.
"Damage to the labyrinth can cause dizziness and hearing loss."
How to Use Labyrinth
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA maze, or by extension, anything so complicated that finding your way through it feels like being lost in one.
Common pairings
labyrinth of streets
labyrinth of rules
lost in a labyrinth
Word Forms
labyrinthed past tense, labyrinths plural, labyrinths singular
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The old palace had a _____ of hallways that confused every visitor.
Etymology
From Latin labyrinthus, from Ancient Greek labúrinthos, referring to the mythical maze built by Daedalus to hold the Minotaur.