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 of distorted

• monstrous
• deformed
• misshapen
• malformed
• mutant

Examples of distorted in a Sentence

surgery to correct a distorted foot

Recent Examples on the Web

In many cases, Kallis said, the roots of this behavior were planted long before, frequently through trauma, abuse, isolation, addiction or distorted coping mechanisms that were never confronted or healed. — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026

Letting go of these items leads to regret for the loss of nostalgia and passing on true history for a distorted version. — Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 28 June 2026

Cultural exchanges like these counter distorted media narratives, says Mimi Sheller, dean of the Global School at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, who studies the movement of people around the world. — Medara Udoekong, Christian Science Monitor, 26 June 2026

Through a slurry of distorted guitars and deadpan singing, the album brushes against grief, addiction, and abandonment through a layer of gauzy nonchalance. — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026

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