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

Human faces emerge from distorted forms that appear stretched through time, echoing motifs found in Chan’s earlier titanium sculptures. — Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Though the song is heavily acoustic, its distorted guitar solos hail squarely from the realm of harder rock, and the artificial choirs that seep in toward the end seem to call out to the symphonic citadels of the Norwegian black metallers. — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026

Sector leaders have warned for years that judging nonprofits too heavily by overhead can create distorted incentives. — Matt Emma, USA Today, 16 July 2026

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

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