distort

verb

dis·​tort di-ˈstȯrt How to pronounce distort (audio)
distorted; distorting; distorts

transitive verb

1
: to twist (see twist entry 1 sense 3b) out of the true meaning or proportion : to alter to give a false or unnatural picture or account
distorted the facts
2
: to twist out of a natural, normal, or original shape or condition
a face distorted by pain
also : to cause to be perceived unnaturally
the new lights distorted colors
The singer's voice was electronically distorted.
3
: pervert
distort justice

intransitive verb

: to become distorted
Heat caused the wax figures to distort.
also : to cause a twisting from the true, natural, or normal
distorter noun
Choose the Right Synonym for distort

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 distort in a Sentence

Her face was distorted by pain. The odd camera angle distorted her figure in the photograph. The sound of the guitar was distorted. Heat caused the plastic to distort. She felt he was distorting the facts. The story was distorted by the press. The loss of both her parents at an early age distorted her outlook on life.
Recent Examples on the Web Other voices were now on the line, impassive, distorted by static—a dispatcher, coördinating with police and E.M.T.s. Zach Williams, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Justice Sonia Sotomayor accused the states of distorting the record in the case. Adam Liptak, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024 And this was followed by a warning last year from the European Commission, which wrote to Google suggesting that its practices were breaching EU antitrust rules by distorting competition. Emma Woollacott, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 What was up with Princess Charlotte’s hand, which seemed distorted by the cuff of her sleeve? Karla Adam, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 Shadow bands are caused by the Earth’s atmosphere distorting the sunlight as the Moon covers or uncovers the Sun. George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Emotions unleashed by unforeseen circumstances can distort a person’s rational calculation of the cost of their actions—which can involve shame, say, or an estimation of the chances of getting caught—versus the benefits of the crime. Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2024 In general, misinformation broadly distorts facts to present false or inaccurate information. Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 16 Feb. 2024 The moon’s clash with Neptune suggests that your assessment of a financial or creative venture is distorted. USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'distort.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin distortus, past participle of distorquēre, from dis- + torquēre to twist — more at torture entry 1

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of distort was in 1567

Dictionary Entries Near distort

Cite this Entry

“Distort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distort. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

distort

verb
dis·​tort dis-ˈtȯ(ə)rt How to pronounce distort (audio)
1
: to tell in a way that is misleading : misrepresent
distorted the facts
2
: to twist out of a natural, normal, or original shape or condition
distorter noun
Etymology

from Latin distortus, past participle of distorquēre "to distort, twist out of proper meaning," from dis- "reverse, apart" and torquēre "to twist" — related to extort, retort, torture

More from Merriam-Webster on distort

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!