deform

verb

de·​form di-ˈfȯrm 

dē-

deformed; deforming; deforms

transitive verb

1

: to spoil the form of

2

a

: to spoil the looks of : disfigure

a face deformed by bitterness

b

: to mar the character of

a marriage deformed by jealousy

3

: to alter the shape of by stress

intransitive verb

: to become misshapen or changed in shape

deformable

di-ˈfȯr-mə-bəl 

dē-

adjective

Synonyms

• contort
• distort
• misshape
• screw
• squinch
• torture
• warp

Choose the Right Synonym for deform

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 deform in a Sentence

The disease eventually deforms the bones.

The disease eventually causes the bones to deform.

Recent Examples on the Web

Experts have yet to reach a firm consensus on how, and to what extent, institutional homebuyers deform the housing market by sucking up inventory. —Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2025

Online, these ideas have become diluted and deformed, dumbed-down to images of tradwife blondes and futuristic triangle structures. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2025

Mina and Sade are witnesses not only to each other but also to the conditions that formed and deformed their dreams. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025

Elevations like underwater mountains, having a larger mass and a stronger gravitational pull, slightly deform the sea surface above them. —David Bressan, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French desfurmer, from Latin deformare, from de- + formare to form, from forma form

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for deform

• brainstorm
• conform
• firestorm
• hailstorm
• inform
• landform
• lukewarm
• perform
• planform
• platform
• preform
• rainstorm

Kids Definition

deform

verb

de·​form di-ˈfȯ(ə)rm 

ˈdē-

: to make or become misshapen or changed in shape

deformation

ˌdē-ˌfȯr-ˈmā-shən

ˌdef-ər-

noun