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

This can create a distorted picture. —Mykola Lukashuk, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Any increase in attention and control to the body, skin or muscle, increases already existing experiences like body dysmorphia and distorted body image. —​wendy Wisner, Parents, 10 Sep. 2025

The shoe manages to look both retro and futuristic at the same time through its distorted 2000s design language. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025

Neutrons occupy unexpected shells and give rise to nuclei with distorted shapes and unusual properties compared to their more stable neighbors. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 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