as in swollen
enlarged beyond normal from internal pressure
bees with abdomens distended with honey are less apt to sting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in swelled
to make or become larger especially because of pressure from inside
The illness can cause the stomach to distend.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distended
Kiana Murden, Vogue, 20 May 2025
Bloating causes your belly to feel full and look distended.
—Kathleen Felton, Health, 9 June 2024
Chemtrails draws you into a different speed, a distended sense of time and sound.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2021
But for all its brawn and atmosphere and robustly choreographed combat, this is a distended historical tapestry too sprawling to remain compelling, particularly when its focus veers away from the central couple.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Adjective
Following too much pasta or one too many sweet treats, my stomach gets quite sensitive—resulting in a feeling of tightness and a distended, rumbling tummy.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 20 May 2025
Bloating causes your belly to feel full and look distended.
—Kathleen Felton, Health, 9 June 2024
Chemtrails draws you into a different speed, a distended sense of time and sound.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2021
But for all its brawn and atmosphere and robustly choreographed combat, this is a distended historical tapestry too sprawling to remain compelling, particularly when its focus veers away from the central couple.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distended
Adjective
-
Her daughter, 1-year-old Imani Mitchell, was swollen and heavily bruised, according to the outlet.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Varicose veins—visible, swollen blood vessels underneath your skin, usually in your legs—can happen when blood that usually flows toward your heart backs up and pools in a vein.—
Sarah Hudgens,
Health,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As guests swelled outside the dining room, Chow and Osbourne led the lively room in a toast to New York and invitation to continue on to the comedy show.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
13 Sep. 2025
-
South Korea’s top diplomat then rushed to Washington to negotiate their release, while public fury swelled back home over what many see as a slap in the face from their longtime ally.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
By 2019, Kirk expanded into electoral politics with Turning Point Action, a 501(c)(4) that allowed his network to directly campaign for Republicans.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Cadence has expanded this technology beyond chip design towards creating digital twins of data centers including all the functional components.—
Thomas Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That Carroll took such umbrage only increased Harbaugh’s smile, making for a better story.—
Jay Paris,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Plenty of timepiece brands increased their prices, too, in response to those initial tariff figures back in April, according to Hodinkee.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Understanding that a hot exo-atmosphere would be large and inflated in size, and that graphite would absorb practically all of the starlight impacting that atmosphere if there were a high-altitude layer of it, represents a fascinating scenario for explaining the features of these planets.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Keeping tires properly inflated not only extends their life but also squeezes more miles out of every charge—a win for the wallet and the planet.—
Melanie Marshall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Traditional prints are being enlarged to create bold, graphic statements and a gallery-like presence.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Just a few days later, Fluidstack enlarged the deal, incorporating an additional 160 MW of capacity.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distended. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share