French word

tordu

Pronunciation

IPA/tɔʁdy/

Meaning

  • adjectivebent

Example

Le tuyau est tordu.

The pipe is bent.

Illustration for tordu (bent)

More examples

Il a un sourire tordu quand il ment.

He has a wry smile when he lies.

Core concept

A pipe with one section twisted off line, making the whole object uneven rather than straight or flat.

Common phrases

  • un tuyau tordu

    crooked pipe

  • un câble tordu

    twisted cable

  • un sourire tordu

    wry smile

Similar words

déformé: Changed from its original shape by an outside force.
plié: Bent with a crease, as if folded.
courbé: Gently curved in a smooth arc.
bancal: Uneven, tilted, and unstable, with a tendency to wobble.

Definition in French

Qui présente une courbure irrégulière ou une torsion empêchant d'être plat ou droit.

Word origin

Tordu is the past participle of tordre, a French verb inherited through Old French from Latin torquēre, meaning 'to twist'.

Usage tips

  • Tordu is stronger than courbé: it suggests an irregular twist or distortion, not just a smooth bend.

Other meanings

  • twistedadjective
  • warpedadjective
  • perverseadjective

Opposites

  • droitstraightadjective
  • rectilignestraight-lineadjective

Related words

  • tordretwistverb
  • tordantfunnyadjective
  • torsiontwistingnoun

Word lists with this word