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

• deformed
• malformed
• misshapen
• monstrous
• shapeless

Examples of distorted in a Sentence

surgery to correct a distorted foot

Recent Examples on the Web

Suddenly, tinkering synths enter before the distorted synths increase in speed. —Lisa Kocay, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024

At the end, the song flips out into bursts of distorted glitch-core noise. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024

In Agatha All Along, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after the suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024

Find the highly distorted visual, directed by Gunner Stahl, below. —Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above