回(まわ)りくどい

まわりくどい
i-adjective
roundabout; indirect; long-winded
communicationdescriptive
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present回(まわ)りくどい回(まわ)りくどくない
Past回(まわ)りくどかった回(まわ)りくどくなかった
て form回(まわ)りくどくて回(まわ)りくどくなくて
Adverbial回(まわ)りくどく—
Conditional ば回(まわ)りくどければ回(まわ)りくどくなければ
Conditional たら回(まわ)りくどかったら回(まわ)りくどくなかったら
1. roundabout; indirect; long-winded; circumlocutory
Describes speech, writing, or methods that are unnecessarily indirect and take a long time to get to the point. Always carries a negative connotation — implying the speaker or method should be more direct.
回(まわ)りくどい言(い)い方(かた)はやめてほしい。
I wish you'd stop being so roundabout in the way you say things.
回(まわ)りくどい説明(せつめい)で、結局(けっきょく)何(なに)が言(い)いたいのか分(わ)からなかった。
The explanation was so roundabout that I couldn't understand what they were trying to say.
回(まわ)りくどいやり方(かた)ではなく、もっと直接的(ちょくせつてき)に問題(もんだい)に取(と)り組(く)むべきだ。
We should tackle the problem more directly rather than taking a roundabout approach.

Usage

Always negative in nuance. Used when someone's speech or approach is frustratingly indirect. Can describe both verbal communication and methods of doing things.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 遠回(とおまわ)し: indirect, roundabout — can be neutral or even tactful, unlike 回(まわ)りくどい which is always negative
  • くどい: persistent, long-winded — focuses on tedious repetition rather than indirectness

Related Words

Compare: 遠回(とおまわ)し (indirect, roundabout)
general
Added 2026.3.20 21:16 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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