What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Tangled vs Untangled - What's the difference?

tangled | untangled |

As verbs the difference between tangled and untangled

is that tangled is past tense of tangle while untangled is past tense of untangle.

As an adjective untangled is

not tangled.

tangled

English

Verb

(head)
  • (tangle)

    • tangle

    English

    (wikipedia tangle)

    Etymology 1

    Origin uncertain; apparently a variant form of (tagle).

    Verb

    (tangl)
  • to become mixed together or intertwined
    • Her hair was tangled from a day in the wind.
  • to be forced into some kind of situation
  • to enter into an argument, conflict, dispute, or fight
    • Don't tangle with someone three times your size.
    He tangled with the law.
  • to mix together or intertwine
  • to catch and hold
  • * Milton
    • Tangled in amorous nets.
  • * Crashaw
    • When my simple weakness strays, / Tangled in forbidden ways.
    Synonyms
    * (to become mixed together or intertwined) dishevel, tousle * (to be forced into some kind of situation) drag, drag in, embroil, sweep, sweep up * argue, conflict, dispute, fight * (to mix together or intertwine) entangle, knot, mat, snarl * (to catch and hold) entrap
    Antonyms
    * (to mix together or intertwine) untangle, unsnarl

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A tangled twisted mass.
  • A complicated or confused state or condition.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-03, volume=408, issue=8847, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Boundary problems , passage=Economics is a messy discipline: too fluid to be a science, too rigorous to be an art. Perhaps it is fitting that economists’ most-used metric, gross domestic product (GDP), is a tangle too. GDP measures the total value of output in an economic territory. Its apparent simplicity explains why it is scrutinised down to tenths of a percentage point every month.}}
  • An argument, conflict, dispute, or fight.
  • (mathematics) A region of the projection of a knot such that the knot crosses its perimeter exactly four times.
    • Synonyms
    * (tangled twisted mass) knot, mess, snarl * (complicated or confused state or condition) maze, snarl * argument, conflict, dispute, fight

    Etymology 2

    Of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian tongul, Faroese tongul, Icelandic .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any large type of seaweed, especially a species of Laminaria .
  • * 1849 , , In Memoriam , 10:
    • Than if with thee the roaring wells / Should gulf him fathom-deep in brine; / And hands so often clasped in mine, / Should toss with tangle and with shells.
  • (in the plural) An instrument consisting essentiallly 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.

    • External links

    * * *

    Anagrams

    * English ergative verbs

    untangled

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (untangle)

    • Adjective

    (-)
  • Not tangled.

    • untangle

    English

    Verb

    (untangl)
  • To remove tangles or knots.
    • With gentle combing, untangle your hair.
  • (by extension) To remove confusion or mystery.
    • It took awhile, but he finally untangled the problem.

    Synonyms

    * disentangle

    Antonyms

    * tangle