dis·tort
(dĭ-stôrt′)tr.v. dis·tort·ed, dis·tort·ing, dis·torts
1. To twist out of a proper or natural relation of parts; misshape: a reflection distorted in the moving water; a face distorted in misery.
2. To cause to deviate from what is normal, reasonable, or accurate: "Though I knew how to translate exactly what she had told me, I realized that any translation would distort the deepest meaning of her message" (Richard Rodriguez).
3. Electronics To cause distortion in (a signal or waveform, for example).
[Latin distorquēre, distort- : dis-, apart; see dis- + torquēre, to twist; see terkw- in Indo-European roots.]
dis·tort′er n.
Synonyms: distort, twist, deform, contort, warp
These verbs mean to alter form or character, usually disadvantageously. To distort is to change the physical shape of something, as by torsion or exaggerating certain features, or to misconstrue the meaning of something: "The human understanding is like a false mirror, which, receiving rays irregularly, distorts and discolors the nature of things" (Francis Bacon).
Twist applies to distortion of form or meaning: He twisted his mouth in pain. She accused me of twisting her words. Deform refers to change that disfigures and often implies the loss of desirable qualities such as beauty: Erosion deforms the landscape. Contort implies violent change that produces unnatural or grotesque effects: "The body of the bird ... contorted suddenly. Its back arching; its head and tail straining to feel the touch of the other; its taloned feet grappling for a hold on a world that was gone" (Pete Dunne).
Warp can refer to turning from a flat or straight form or from a true course or direction: The floorboards warped over the years. His judgment is warped by prejudice.
These verbs mean to alter form or character, usually disadvantageously. To distort is to change the physical shape of something, as by torsion or exaggerating certain features, or to misconstrue the meaning of something: "The human understanding is like a false mirror, which, receiving rays irregularly, distorts and discolors the nature of things" (Francis Bacon).
Twist applies to distortion of form or meaning: He twisted his mouth in pain. She accused me of twisting her words. Deform refers to change that disfigures and often implies the loss of desirable qualities such as beauty: Erosion deforms the landscape. Contort implies violent change that produces unnatural or grotesque effects: "The body of the bird ... contorted suddenly. Its back arching; its head and tail straining to feel the touch of the other; its taloned feet grappling for a hold on a world that was gone" (Pete Dunne).
Warp can refer to turning from a flat or straight form or from a true course or direction: The floorboards warped over the years. His judgment is warped by prejudice.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Adj. | 1. |  distorted - so badly formed or out of shape as to be ugly; "deformed thalidomide babies"; "his poor distorted limbs"; "an ill-shapen vase"; "a limp caused by a malformed foot"; "misshapen old fingers"unshapely - not well-proportioned and pleasing in shape; "a stout unshapely woman" |
| 2. |  distorted - having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented; "many of the facts seemed twisted out of any semblance to reality"; "a perverted translation of the poem"artful, disingenuous - not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness; "an ambitious, disingenuous, philistine, and hypocritical operator, who...exemplified...the most disagreeable traits of his time"- David Cannadine; "a disingenuous excuse" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
distorted
adjective
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
distorted
[dɪsˈtɔːtɪd] ADJ (lit, fig) → distorsionadohe gave us a distorted version of the events → nos dio una versión distorsionada de los hechos
a distorted impression → una impresión distorsionada
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
distorted
adj
(= unclear, inaccurate) sound, view, picture, report → verzerrt; she has an entirely distorted impression of events → sie sieht die Ereignisse völlig verzerrt; she has a distorted image of what is normal → sie hat ein verzerrtes Bild davon, was normal ist
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
distorted
a. torcido-a; deformado-a; desfigurado-a.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012