deform

verb

de·​form di-ˈfȯrm 

dē-

deformed; deforming; deforms

transitive verb

1

: to spoil the form of

2

a

: to spoil the looks of : disfigure

a face deformed by bitterness

b

: to mar the character of

a marriage deformed by jealousy

3

: to alter the shape of by stress

intransitive verb

: to become misshapen or changed in shape

deformable

di-ˈfȯr-mə-bəl 

dē-

adjective

Synonyms

• contort
• distort
• misshape
• screw
• squinch
• torture
• warp

Choose the Right Synonym for deform

deform, distort, contort, warp means to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting.

deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

distort and contort both imply a wrenching from the natural or normal, but contort suggests a more involved twisting and a more grotesque and painful result.

the odd camera angle distorts the figure

disease had contorted her body

warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

Examples of deform in a Sentence

The disease eventually deforms the bones.

The disease eventually causes the bones to deform.

Recent Examples on the Web

While historically debates were confined to good-spirited discussions on public policy issues, Trump over the last two presidential cycles has deformed the tradition with uncontrolled outbursts and an avalanche of lies. —Hadas Gold, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024

Soft materials fundamentally change the dynamics of contact by deforming around the material—generating patch contacts that allow contact forces and moments not achievable by a rigid interaction. —IEEE Spectrum, 2 Apr. 2024

During the production process, a sensor in the car’s occupant detection system may have become deformed, Subaru said, which can cause a crack to form in a capacitor and let moisture in. —William Gavin, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2024

When looking in the mirror, a patient’s own visage might seem deformed. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024

The intrusion of smartphones and social media are not the only changes that have deformed childhood. —Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2024

Trump’s hands look deformed, and the person on the far left is missing a ring finger. —Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024

In strictly physical terms, no article of clothing does more to articulate and augment the line of our bodies — to beautify us or deform us — than pants. —Jonah Weiner, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024

Swaths of the ground also began to deform, a telltale sign that magma was building underground. —Maya Wei-Haas, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French desfurmer, from Latin deformare, from de- + formare to form, from forma form

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

deform

verb

de·​form di-ˈfȯ(ə)rm 

ˈdē-

: to make or become misshapen or changed in shape

deformation

ˌdē-ˌfȯr-ˈmā-shən

ˌdef-ər-

noun