Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

crooked

/kɹʊkt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.63 in modern English

Syllables: crooked
IPA: /kɹʊkt/

14

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

simple past and past participle of crook

adj

Not straight; having one or more bends or angles.

adj

Set at an angle; not vertical or square.

adj

Dishonest or illegal; corrupt.

adj

Ill-tempered; grumpy; cranky.

Example Sentences

"We walked up the crooked path to the top of the hill."
"That picture is crooked - could you straighten it up for me?"
"He was trying to interest me in another one of his crooked deals."
"He's so crooked that everyone avoids interacting with him as much as they can help it."
"During the height of Italian immigration in the United States and in New York City, gangs flourished not only because of poverty but also because of political and social corruption. Policemen and politicians were often as crooked as the gang leaders themselves."
"I wouldn't try to talk to him just now, b'y! He's some crooked today!"

Etymology

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: croked

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /kɹʊkt/
British English: /kɹʊkt/

Inflected Forms

more crooked (comparative) most crooked (superlative)

Derived Forms

crookedly crookedness

Phrases

crooked as a barrel of fish hooks crooked as a barrel of snakes crooked as a dog's hind leg Crooked Corner Crooked Creek crooked number crooked tune hell west and crooked

Synonyms

hunched round-backed round-shouldered stooped stooping asymmetrical corrupt

Rhymes With

looked cooked booked hooked overlooked uncooked overcooked undercooked precooked

Questions

How do you pronounce crooked?: The recorded pronunciation is /kɹʊkt/.
What does crooked mean?: simple past and past participle of crook
Where does crooked come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce crooked

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “crooked”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/kɹʊkt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “crooked”.
Repeat and practice — Say “crooked” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.