distorted

adjective

dis·​tort·​ed di-ˈstȯr-təd 

: altered from a true, natural, or normal state, shape, or condition

a distorted image

a distorted view/understanding of the situation

a distorted account of what happened

The public is, I believe, dimly aware of this aspect of ethnography, perhaps in romantically distorted ways, but aware nonetheless.

—Roy A. Rappaport

What happens is that you realize people in other countries tend to reach distorted conclusions about the U.S., and you feel obligated to provide what you believe is a full and balanced appraisal.

—Norman Cousins

Synonyms

• monstrous
• deformed
• misshapen
• malformed
• mutant

Examples of distorted in a Sentence

surgery to correct a distorted foot

Recent Examples on the Web

Led by blaring ‘80s synthesizers and a pounding beat, the song features a distorted lead vocal from D’Angelo, who accompanies himself on multitracked backing vocals with the occasional soul shriek thrown in for good measure. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025

Its highly distorted structure could enable complex transition pathways that lead to metastable ice phases. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025

Each distorted arc, ring or multiplied galaxy image acts as a natural cosmic magnifying glass, offering astronomers a powerful tool to look further back into the universe's history. —Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025

During an interview at the Bloomberg Screentime media conference in Hollywood, Kimmel extended criticism towards the distorted reception of his comments about the right-wing influencer. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for distorted

• aborted
• assorted
• comported
• consorted
• contorted
• deported
• escorted
• exhorted
• exported
• extorted
• imported
• purported