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

2

: 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

misshapenness noun

… masterpieces of dullness, misshapenness, and folly …

—Louis Simpson

Synonyms

• distorted
• monstrous
• deformed

Examples of misshapen in a Sentence

the returning camper proudly presented his mother with a misshapen clay bowl that he had made in crafts class

Recent Examples on the Web

That change of course also makes the episode feel a bit misshapen. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025

Some are massive and geologically active, while others are tiny, misshapen rocks silently circling their hosts. —Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Baby carrots aren't just a marketing gimmick or a way to get kids to eat their vegetables—they were originally developed as a way to make good use of misshapen or imperfect carrots. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2025

Edward Herman from the Cook Islands' Seabed Minerals Authority holding polymetallic nodules, misshapen black globes encrusted with cobalt, nickel, manganese and other coveted metals, on June 12, 2025. —Hugh Cameron john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misshapen

• shapen

Kids Definition

misshapen

adjective

mis·​shap·​en

(ˈ)mis-ˈshā-pən,

(ˈ)mish-

: badly shaped : having an ugly shape