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 of deform

• distort
• contort
• screw

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

Bathed in sunlight, deformed by the wide angle shot, there was our living room. —Francesco Pacifico, The Dial, 12 May 2026

Weakened by a brief-but-corrosive bath of sulfuric acid droplets during its plunge, the probe would’ve inevitably deformed and ruptured upon reaching the ground. —Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 10 May 2026

Instead, its dense core deformed the surface in a way that produced the basin’s unusual tapered shape. —Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 9 May 2026

Back in Egypt, however, a freak plane crash uncovers a mysterious tomb that authorities open to find Katie: deformed, malnourished and ghostly-pale, but still miraculously alive. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026

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