misshapen
adjective
mis·shap·en
ˌmis-ˈshā-pən 
1
: having an ugly or deformed shape
It is, in fact, a homely and misshapen little gray airplane that looks like it was cobbled together in someone's garage.—
Patricia Trenner
Patricia Trenner2
: morally or intellectually deformed or distorted
misshapen ideas of justice
misshapenly
adverb
She has brought Trot, her mangy mongrel, with her. He lies misshapenly across her vast lap …
—John le Carré
John le Carré
misshapenness
noun
… masterpieces of dullness, misshapenness, and folly …
—Louis Simpson
Louis Simpson
Examples of misshapen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These misshapen cells can get stuck in blood vessels and clog blood flow, leading to pain, infection, strokes or other health problems.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023
These misshapen cells clump together and block blood flow to organs, causing bouts of extreme pain.
—WIRED, 16 Nov. 2023
The misshapen cells then clump together and block the flow of oxygen to the organs, which causes extreme pain.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 Nov. 2023
Deformity: Particularly with a fracture or dislocation, your knee joint may appear to be misshapen.
—Jonathan Cluett, Md, Verywell Health, 9 Nov. 2023
But if yours is misshapen or exceptionally dirty, a new one should cost between $15 and $20.
—Maya Pottiger, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
And, of course, there was the perennial punch line of physiognomy: sight gags, sketches, and songs that depicted Jewish bodies as misshapen and absurd.
—Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2023
At 6-foot-3, pushing 330 pounds, his appearance was misshapen by a stomach distended with fluid.
—Max Blau, ProPublica, 21 Aug. 2023
Clinical trial participants who received the one-time treatment developed by CRISPR/Vertex have remained free of the agonizing symptoms caused by misshapen blood cells for months — some, like Gray, for years.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Mar. 2023
See More
Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023
These misshapen cells clump together and block blood flow to organs, causing bouts of extreme pain.
—WIRED, 16 Nov. 2023
The misshapen cells then clump together and block the flow of oxygen to the organs, which causes extreme pain.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 Nov. 2023
Deformity: Particularly with a fracture or dislocation, your knee joint may appear to be misshapen.
—Jonathan Cluett, Md, Verywell Health, 9 Nov. 2023
But if yours is misshapen or exceptionally dirty, a new one should cost between $15 and $20.
—Maya Pottiger, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
And, of course, there was the perennial punch line of physiognomy: sight gags, sketches, and songs that depicted Jewish bodies as misshapen and absurd.
—Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2023
At 6-foot-3, pushing 330 pounds, his appearance was misshapen by a stomach distended with fluid.
—Max Blau, ProPublica, 21 Aug. 2023
Clinical trial participants who received the one-time treatment developed by CRISPR/Vertex have remained free of the agonizing symptoms caused by misshapen blood cells for months — some, like Gray, for years.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misshapen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of misshapen was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near misshapen
Cite this Entry
“Misshapen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misshapen. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
misshapen
adjective
mis·shap·en
(ˈ)mis-ˈshā-pən,
(ˈ)mish-
: badly shaped : having an ugly shape
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