Crooked means bent, twisted, or not straight. A crooked branch on a tree might zigzag instead of growing straight up. When you hang a picture on the wall and it tilts to one side, it's hanging crooked. A crooked smile goes up higher on one side than the other.

The word also describes someone who is dishonest or breaks the rules for personal gain. A crooked politician might take bribes or steal public money. A crooked card dealer might secretly mark the deck to cheat players. When we call someone crooked in this sense, we mean they can't be trusted because they're willing to break rules or laws when they think they won't get caught.

Interestingly, both meanings connect to the same idea: something that isn't straight or true. Just as a crooked line deviates from the straight path, a crooked person deviates from honest behavior. You might describe a crooked path through the woods (one that winds and turns) or a crooked business deal (one that involves deception).

The opposite of crooked is straight, both for physical objects and for honest behavior. People sometimes say someone is “straight as an arrow” to emphasize that they're honest.