labyrinth
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A complicated irregular network of passages or paths.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
laberinthSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈlæbɚɪnθ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A complicated irregular network of passages or paths, especially underground or covered, in which it is difficult to find one's way.
Greek mythology
A maze-like structure built by Daedalus in Knossos, containing the Minotaur.
by extension
Anything complicated and confusing in structure, arrangement, or character.
A structure similar to a maze, but containing only one path with no branches, as distinguished from a maze which contains multiple branching paths
zoology
An accessory respiratory organ of certain fish.
Any of various satyrine butterflies of the genus Neope.
verb
To become lost and confused, as if in a labyrinth.
To twist and wind, following a labyrinthine path.
To arrange in the form of a labyrinth.
To enclose in a labyrinth, or as though in a labyrinth.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (Greek mythology) A maze-like structure built by Daedalus in Knossos, containing the Minotaur.
Used this way, labyrinth is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Maze / structure
Other combinations
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A vast labyrinth built in Crete by Daedalus at the command of Minos in order to contain the Minotaur.
The sensory structures of the inner ear including the labyrinthine receptors and the cochlea.
Cavity in the petrous part of the temporal bone that contains the membranous labyrinth.
An artery that is a branch of the basilar artery that supplies the labyrinth.
Cavity in the petrous part of the temporal bone that contains the membranous labyrinth.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
An artery that is a branch of the basilar artery that supplies the labyrinth.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: complicated irregular network of passages or paths
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.