tangled

/ˈtæŋɡld/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈæŋɡəld] /ˈtæŋɡld/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈæŋɡəld] /ˈtaŋ-gəld How to pronounce tangled (audio)/ (ame, mw)

tangled — adjective

  • tangledpositive
  • more tangledcomparative
  • most tangledsuperlative

1. hair, string, plants, or similar items that have become twisted around each othe

1.形容詞B1
釋義

hair, string, plants, or similar items that have become twisted around each other into a messy knot that is hard to separate

例句

After playing outside, Ingrid's long hair was tangled with leaves and twigs.

tangled with [leaves/twigs]

The old fishing net lay in a tangled heap on the dock.

noun phrase: a tangled heap

同義詞
  • knotted

    suggests tighter, more deliberate twisting (e.g. knotted rope)

  • snarled

    more messy and difficult to fix, especially for hair or fur

反義詞
  • straight

    for hair or string that hangs smoothly

  • neat

    for an arrangement that is tidy and orderly

用法筆記

Commonly used for physical objects like hair, string, wires, cables, rope, vines, or fishing nets that have become twisted together. When used before a noun, it describes the object's state; after a linking verb (be, get, become), it describes what happened.

常見錯誤

❌The cables were tangling.
✅The cables were tangled.
💡'Tangled' is an adjective describing a state, not the continuous verb form.

2. a situation, relationship, or set of events that is confusing and difficult to u

2.形容詞B2
釋義

a situation, relationship, or set of events that is confusing and difficult to understand or resolve

例句

Karim found himself in a tangled business deal that involved three different companies.

pattern: tangled + business deal / situation

The legal dispute grew more tangled as new evidence appeared in court.

pattern: grow tangled (gradually become more complicated)

同義詞
  • complicated

    more neutral and less emotional than 'tangled'

  • messy

    more informal, implies a bad outcome or disorganized state

反義詞

用法筆記

Describes abstract situations, never physical objects. Common with nouns like 'relationship', 'affair', 'situation', 'history', 'politics', 'web'. Frequently used with 'become' or 'grow' to describe a gradual change.

常見錯誤

❌The wires are tangled in a confusing way.' (using sense 2 for physical objects)
✅Use sense 1 for physical things like wires. Sense 2 is only for abstract situations.

3. caught or involved in a difficult, illegal, or unpleasant situation that is hard

3.形容詞B2
釋義

caught or involved in a difficult, illegal, or unpleasant situation that is hard to escape from

例句

Linh became tangled in a corruption scandal at the city council.

pattern: tangled in [scandal/corruption]

Wei got tangled up with a group of people who were selling stolen phones.

phrasal pattern: tangled up with [people]

同義詞
  • entangled

    more formal, implies being trapped in something undesirable

  • implicated

    more serious, suggests blame or criminal involvement

反義詞

文法句型

tangled in + [bad situation]

tangled up with + [people involved in bad activity]

用法筆記

Almost always used with the preposition 'in' (tangled in something bad) or 'up with' (tangled up with bad people). Often implies that the involvement was not fully intentional and that escaping is difficult.

常見錯誤

❌He was tangled in a difficult math problem.
✅He was tangled in a money-laundering case.
💡Sense 3 is only for morally bad or illegal situations, not for general difficulty.