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

• deformed
• malformed
• misshapen
• monstrous
• shapeless

Examples of distorted in a Sentence

surgery to correct a distorted foot

Recent Examples on the Web

For me, balancing family and the creative lifestyle and more, time is definitely about distorted moments. —Roberta Naas, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

For Saturday’s show — which ran despite the June edition of London Fashion Week being cancelled by the British Fashion Council — Rose presented looks that twisted, stretched, distorted and shrunken outerwear staples including puffa jackets, trench coats. —Steve Salter, CNN Money, 16 June 2025

The distorted background galaxies are at a range of cosmic distances. —Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 27 May 2025

Higher wattages make louder and less distorted sounds possible without damaging the speaker. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 6 June 2025

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