tangle

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To mix together or intertwine.
2. (intransitive) To become mixed together or intertwined.
3. (figuratively, intransitive) To enter into an argument, conflict, dispute, or fight.
4. (transitive) To catch and hold.

Noun

1. A tangled twisted mass.
2. A complicated or confused state or condition.
3. An argument, conflict, dispute, or fight.
4. A region of the projection of a knot such that the knot crosses its perimeter exactly four times.
5. A paired helical fragment of tau protein found in a nerve cell and associated with Alzheimer's disease.
6. A form of art which consists of sections filled with repetitive patterns.

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) Any large type of seaweed, especially a species of Laminaria.
2. (countable, in-plural, uncountable) An instrument consisting essentially of an iron bar to which are attached swabs, or bundles of frayed rope, or other similar substances, used to capture starfishes, sea urchins, and other similar creatures living at the bottom of the sea.
3. (Scotland, countable, uncountable) Any long hanging thing, even a lanky person.

Opposite of

untangle, unsnarl

Synonyms

snarl

chaos

muddle

knot

🪢

entanglement

entangle

confusion

mess

confuse

dishevel

tousle

mat

complication

ravel

embroil

involve

complicate

jumble

get twisted

tangle up

maze

thicket

disarrange

difficulties

become tangled

twist

get tangled up

agitate

trouble

sweep

clutter

sweep up

snare

drag in

drag

mix up

disrupt

muss

kink

complicated

obfuscate

disorder

complexify

disarray

commix

blend

derange

commingle

fox

🦊

conspiracy

Translations

aggrovigliare

verwikkeling

warboel

emaranhar

groviglio

maraña

warnet

Gewirr

Wirrwarr

enredar

enchevêtre

enredo

μπερδεύω

imbrogliare

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈtæŋ.ɡl̩/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: tanglen

Cognate with Swedish: taggla

Cognate with Old Norse: þǫngull

Cognate with Norwegian: tongul

Cognate with Faroese: tongul

Cognate with Icelandic: þöngull

In summary

From Middle English tanglen, probably of North Germanic origin, compare Swedish taggla (“to disorder”), Old Norse þǫngull, þang (“tangle; seaweed”), see Etymology 2 below.