distort

verb dis·tort \ di-ˈstȯrt \

Definition of distort

transitive verb

1 :to twist (see ¹twist 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

See distort defined for English-language learners

See distort defined for kids

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 of distort from the Web

Symptoms in other plants are distorted leaves and stems, and, in some cases, a stunted plant.

— margaret lauterbach, idahostatesman, "Spider mites harm plants but are easy to control," 23 Aug. 2017
At St. Christopher’s Hospital, a pediatric nephrologist delivered sober news: The baby’s kidneys were abnormal, and his ureters were distorted.

— anndee hochman, Philly.com, "The Parent Trip: Greg and Paul Yorgey-Girdy of South Philadelphia," 23 Aug. 2017
The pictures out of Charlottesville—angry white people, mostly men, carrying torches in the middle of the night, faces distorted by hate—

— jessica valenti, Marie Claire, "This Is Us: White Americans Can't Distance Themselves from Charlottesville," 14 Aug. 2017
The nostalgic Technicolor romanticism alters reality, distorting it as a straight stick under water appears to be bent.

— olivia b. waxman, Time, "What to Know About the Real Crimes Behind Bonnie and Clyde," 11 Aug. 2017
What was once assumed as a commanding, powerful voice is now completely distorted.

— SI.com, "VIDEO: Wae'aye Man! Mark Clattenburg Shocks Millions With Mad Voice During Community Shield Coverage," 7 Aug. 2017
Such propaganda — now an advertising meme — distorts history in order to fulfill a liberal fantasy that keeps black Americans indebted to whites’ condescending pity.

— armond white, National Review, "Kathryn Bigelow Does the Wrong Thing in Detroit," 4 Aug. 2017
Last year, Vox published a detailed list of problems in science and while fake science luckily isn't a epidemic yet, Neuroskeptic shows how easily the truth can be distorted when nobody is challenging it.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "'Star Wars' Sneaks Into Science Journals in Bogus Paper," 24 July 2017
All of this is distorting the investment landscape.

— erin griffith, Fortune, "Term Sheet — Wednesday, July 19," 19 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'distort.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of distort

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1567

See Words from the same year

distort Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

DISTORT Defined for English Language Learners

distort

verb

Definition of distort for English Language Learners

: to change the natural, normal, or original shape, appearance, or sound of (something) in a way that is usually not attractive or pleasing
: to change (something) so that it is no longer true or accurate

DISTORT Defined for Kids

distort

verb dis·tort \ di-ˈstȯrt \

Definition of distort for Students

distorted; distorting

1 :to twist out of shape

2 :to change so as to make untrue or inaccurate

Reports distorted the facts.

Word Root of distort

The Latin word torquēre, meaning “to twist,” and its form tortus give us the root tort. Words from the Latin torquēre have something to do with twisting. A retort, or angry reply to another's words, twists those words back at the person. To contort is to twist the body in unusual ways. To distort is to twist something, such as the truth, so much that it appears to be something else.