Thesaurus

distort

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of distort

1 to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of

the coachʼs message was so distorted after passing through so many people that it was unintelligible

Synonyms of distort

bend, color, cook, falsify, fudge, garble, misinterpret, misrelate, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, slant, twist, warp

Words Related to distort

misdescribe, misspeak, mistranslate

belie, camouflage, disguise, dissemble, gloss (over), mask, veil, whitewash

bowdlerize, censor

complicate, confound, confuse, mistake, mix (up)

mystify, obscure

equivocate, fib, lie, palter, prevaricate

Near Antonyms of distort

clarify, clear (up), explain, illuminate, illustrate, interpret, spell out

2 to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition

if you keep distorting your face like that, someday itʼs going to freeze in that position

Synonyms of distort

contort, deform, misshape, screw, squinch, torture, warp

Words Related to distort

deface, disfigure

wrench, wrest, wring

coil, curl, loop, spiral, twine, wind, wreathe

Near Antonyms of distort

straighten, unbend, uncurl

Synonym Discussion of distort

deform, distort, contort, warp means to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting. deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

- a face deformed by hatred

distort and contort both imply a wrenching from the natural or normal, but contort suggests a more involved twisting and a more grotesque and painful result.

- the odd camera angle distorts the figure
- disease had contorted her body

warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

- warped floorboards

Learn More about distort

See words that rhyme with distort Dictionary: Definition of distort Spanish Central: Translation of distort Nglish: Translation of distort for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of distort for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up distort? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments

WORD OF THE DAY

perforce

by force of circumstances

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games