tortuous steps
[tɔːr.tʃu.əs stɛps]
noun phrase
passos tortuosos
1. Steps or movements that are winding, twisting, or indirect; a path or journey that is unnecessarily complicated or convoluted
The negotiation followed tortuous steps before reaching an agreement.
A negociação seguiu passos tortuosos antes de chegar a um acordo.
2. Figuratively, a slow and complicated process with many unexpected turns or difficulties
The company took tortuous steps to recover from bankruptcy.
A empresa seguiu passos tortuosos para se recuperar da falência.
3. Literally, physical movements along a winding, twisted, or serpentine path
The hiker's tortuous steps along the mountain trail took several hours.
Os passos tortuosos do caminhante pela trilha da montanha levaram várias horas.
The phrase 'tortuous steps' is commonly used in both American and Brazilian Portuguese contexts to describe complicated bureaucratic processes, business negotiations, or difficult personal journeys. In Brazil, it often appears in news media and business contexts when discussing political or economic developments. The metaphor is universal and understood across both cultures as representing complexity and difficulty.
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