Crooked vs. Crook: What's the Difference?
By Janet White || Updated on May 29, 2024
Crooked describes something bent or twisted, often implying dishonesty, while crook refers to a person engaged in criminal activities or a curved implement.
Key Differences
Crooked is an adjective used to describe something that is bent or twisted out of shape, often implying irregularity or dishonesty. Crook, on the other hand, is primarily a noun. It refers to a person who engages in criminal activities, such as theft or fraud.
The term crooked can also be used figuratively to describe actions or practices that are dishonest or illegal, emphasizing the unethical aspect. Conversely, crook directly labels a person as a wrongdoer, providing a clear identification of someone involved in illegal activities.
While crooked modifies nouns to describe their shape or integrity, crook is a concrete noun representing either a person or an object. This difference underscores the use of crooked as a descriptive term versus crook as a label for people or things.
Crooked has a broader application in both literal and metaphorical contexts, whereas crook is more narrowly defined, focusing on criminal behavior or specific tools.
Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Adjective
Noun
ADVERTISEMENT
Literal Meaning
Bent or twisted out of shape
A curved implement or staff
Figurative Meaning
Dishonest or corrupt
A person engaged in criminal activities
Usage Example
"A crooked path through the forest"
"The crook stole the jewelry"
Common Contexts
Describing shapes, behaviors, actions
Referring to criminals or tools
Crooked and Crook Definitions
Crooked
Not straight or aligned.
The road ahead was crooked and winding.
ADVERTISEMENT
Crook
A dishonest person.
The businessman turned out to be a crook.
Crooked
Untrustworthy or deceitful.
They dealt with a crooked car dealer.
Crook
An implement or tool, such as a bishop's crosier or a shepherd's staff, with a bent or curved part.
Crooked
Dishonest or corrupt.
The crooked official was arrested for bribery.
Crook
A part that is curved or bent like a hook.
Crooked
Having or marked by bends, curves, or angles.
Crook
A curve or bend; a turn
A crook in the path.
Crooked
At an irregular or improper angle; askew
Your necktie is crooked.
Crook
(Informal) One who makes a living by dishonest methods.
Crooked
(Informal) Dishonest or unscrupulous; fraudulent.
Crook
To make a crook in; bend
Crooked an arm around the package.
Crooked
Simple past tense and past participle of crook
Crook
To bend or curve.
Crooked
Not straight; having one or more bends or angles.
We walked up the crooked path to the top of the hill.
Crook
Out of order; faulty.
Crooked
Set at an angle; not vertical or square.
That picture is crooked - could you straighten it up for me?
Crook
Not well; ill.
Crooked
(figuratively) Dishonest or illegal; corrupt.
He was trying to interest me in another one of his crooked deals.
Crook
Of poor quality; inferior.
Crooked
Characterized by a crook or curve; not straight; turning; bent; twisted; deformed.
He is deformed, crooked, old, and sere.
Crook
Not honest; crooked.
Crooked
Not straightforward; deviating from rectitude; distorted from the right.
They are a perverse and crooked generation.
Crook
A bend; turn; curve; curvature; a flexure.
She held the baby in the crook of her arm.
Crooked
False; dishonest; fraudulent; as, crooked dealings.
Crook
A bending of the knee; a genuflection.
Crooked
Having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned;
Crooked country roads
Crooked teeth
Crook
A bent or curved part; a curving piece or portion (of anything).
The crook of a cane
Crooked
Not straight; dishonest or immoral or evasive
Crook
(obsolete) A lock or curl of hair.
Crooked
Irregular in shape or outline;
Asymmetrical features
A dress with an crooked hemline
Crook
(obsolete) A support beam consisting of a post with a cross-beam resting upon it; a bracket or truss consisting of a vertical piece, a horizontal piece, and a strut.
Crooked
Having the back and shoulders rounded; not erect;
A little oldish misshapen stooping woman
Crook
A specialized staff with a semi-circular bend (a "hook") at one end used by shepherds to control their herds.
Crooked
Bent or twisted out of shape.
The picture frame hung crooked on the wall.
Crook
A bishop's standard staff of office.
Crooked
Irregular or off-balance.
His tie was crooked after the windy walk.
Crook
An artifice; a trick; a contrivance.
Crook
A person who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things; a criminal.
Crook
A pothook.
Crook
(music) A small tube, usually curved, applied to a trumpet, horn, etc., to change its pitch or key.
Crook
(transitive) To bend, or form into a hook.
He crooked his finger toward me.
Crook
(intransitive) To become bent or hooked.
Crook
To turn from the path of rectitude; to pervert; to misapply; to twist.
Crook
Bad, unsatisfactory, not up to standard.
That work you did on my car is crook, mate.
Not turning up for training was pretty crook.
Crook
Ill, sick.
I′m feeling a bit crook.
Crook
Annoyed, angry; upset.
Be crook at/about; go crook at
Crook
A bend, turn, or curve; curvature; flexure.
Through lanes, and crooks, and darkness.
Crook
Any implement having a bent or crooked end.
He left his crook, he left his flocks.
Crook
A pothook.
Crook
An artifice; trick; tricky device; subterfuge.
For all yuor brags, hooks, and crooks.
Crook
A small tube, usually curved, applied to a trumpet, horn, etc., to change its pitch or key.
Crook
A person given to fraudulent practices; an accomplice of thieves, forgers, etc.
Crook
To turn from a straight line; to bend; to curve.
Crook the pregnant hinges of the knee.
Crook
To turn from the path of rectitude; to pervert; to misapply; to twist.
There is no one thing that crooks youth more than such unlawfull games.
What soever affairs pass such a man's hands, he crooketh them to his own ends.
Crook
To bend; to curve; to wind; to have a curvature.
Their shoes and pattens are snouted, and piked more than a finger long, crooking upwards.
Crook
Someone who has committed (or been legally convicted of) a crime
Crook
A circular segment of a curve;
A bend in the road
A crook in the path
Crook
A long staff with one end being hook shaped
Crook
Bend or cause to bend;
He crooked his index finger
The road curved sharply
Crook
A person who engages in criminal activities.
The crook was caught by the police.
Crook
A curved implement or staff.
The shepherd carried a wooden crook.
Crook
The act of bending something.
She used a crook of her elbow to hold the book.
Crook
A part of something that is curved or bent.
He hung his hat on the crook of the branch.
FAQs
What does crooked mean?
Crooked means bent or twisted out of shape, often implying dishonesty.
Can you use crooked in a sentence?
e.g., The fence looked crooked after the storm.
Can crooked be used to describe people?
Yes, it can describe someone as dishonest or corrupt.
What is a crook?
A crook is a person who engages in criminal activities or a curved implement.
Is crook always related to crime?
Mostly, but it can also refer to a curved staff or implement.
Is crooked positive or negative?
It usually has a negative connotation.
Are all crooks criminals?
In the context of calling someone a crook, it implies criminal activity.
Can you use crook in a sentence?
e.g., The crook was arrested after the robbery.
Does crook have any positive meanings?
It is neutral when referring to a shepherd’s tool.
Can objects be described as crooked?
Yes, objects can be described as crooked if they are bent or twisted.
Is it correct to call a thief a crook?
Yes, a thief can be called a crook.
What is the origin of the word crook?
It comes from Old Norse "krókr," meaning a bend or hook.
What is a crooked smile?
A smile that is uneven or twisted.
Can a path be crooked?
Yes, a path can be described as crooked if it is not straight.
Can you describe a tree as crooked?
Yes, if the tree is bent or twisted.
Is there any positive use of the word crooked?
Rarely, mostly it has negative implications.
What other meanings does crook have?
Besides a criminal, it also means a curved staff.
What is a synonym for crooked?
Bent or twisted.
How would you describe a crooked building?
A building that appears bent or leaning.
What is a synonym for crook?
Thief or criminal.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
