malformed

adjective

mal·​formed ˌmal-ˈfȯrmd How to pronounce malformed (audio)
: characterized by malformation : badly or imperfectly formed : misshapen

Examples of malformed in a Sentence

a clay sculpture of an eagle that was so malformed that it looked more like a feathered football
Recent Examples on the Web Both had piercing blue eyes, inherited from their mother, Ella Friedman Oppenheimer, an artist with a malformed hand always hidden in a glove. Kc Cole, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 This attack vector requires a pretty significant hoop to jump through, which is installing an untrusted, malformed app. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 13 Dec. 2023 Mail crashes on launch after receiving a malformed email. Yoni Heisler, BGR, 18 Oct. 2022 Van der Horst thinks that the rodent’s odd social structure is responsible for its malformed sperm. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 4 Dec. 2011 The cranium has ruminated for decades in a display case, amid pathological and anatomical anomalies such as malformed fetuses and pickled liver stones. New York Times, 14 Feb. 2020 One was a jokey baking show in which each participant had made some kind of malformed cake to be mocked by the judges; the other saw Murphy play a manic Christmas elf telling a TV reporter about a polar-bear attack. David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2019 The malformed cells can get stuck in small blood vessels, resulting in severe pain and, over time, organ degradation. Erin Allday, SFChronicle.com, 22 Sep. 2019 Chronic wasting disease is highly infectious and caused by malformed proteins called prions. USA TODAY, 21 July 2019

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

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of malformed was in 1817

Dictionary Entries Near malformed

Cite this Entry

“Malformed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malformed. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

malformed

adjective
mal·​formed (ˈ)mal-ˈfȯ(ə)rmd How to pronounce malformed (audio)
: marked by malformation : badly or imperfectly formed : misshapen

Medical Definition

malformed

adjective
mal·​formed (ˈ)mal-ˈfȯ(ə)rmd How to pronounce malformed (audio)
: characterized by malformation : badly or imperfectly formed
a malformed limb

More from Merriam-Webster on malformed

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