distort

[ dih-stawrt ]

verb (used with object)

1. to twist awry or out of shape; make crooked or deformed:

   Arthritis had distorted his fingers.

2. to give a false, perverted, or disproportionate meaning to; misrepresent:

   to distort the facts.

   Synonyms: misstate, falsify, twist, misconstrue, pervert

3. Electronics. to reproduce or amplify (a signal) inaccurately by changing the frequencies or unequally changing the delay or amplitude of the components of the output wave.

distort

/ dɪˈstɔːt /

verb

1. often passive to twist or pull out of shape; make bent or misshapen; contort; deform
2. to alter or misrepresent (facts, motives, etc)
3. electronics to reproduce or amplify (a signal) inaccurately, changing the shape of the waveform

Derived Forms

• disˈtortedly, adverb
• disˈtorted, adjective
• disˈtortedness, noun
• disˈtorter, noun
• disˈtortive, adjective

Other Words From

• dis·torter noun
• dis·tortive adjective
• nondis·torting adjective
• nondis·torting·ly adverb
• nondis·tortive adjective
• over·dis·tort verb (used with object)
• undis·torting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of distort¹

1580–90; from Latin distortus (past participle of distorquēre “to distort”), equivalent to dis- dis- ¹ + tor(qu)- (stem of torquēre “to twist”) + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of distort¹

C16: from Latin distortus misshapen, from distorquēre to turn different ways, from dis- ¹+ torquēre to twist

Synonym Study

See misrepresent.

Example Sentences

Within months, though, he changed his tune, opposing tariffs on EVs because “things that inhibit freedom of exchange or distort the market are not good.”

From Los Angeles Times

His purview would include programs and departments he has fiercely criticized in the past, often in ways that opponents say distort or ignore facts and misinterpret science.

From Los Angeles Times

They serve their superiors reliably yet sometimes secretly, occasionally contravening their superiors' domestic interests by distorting what they tell them about bargains being struck with adversaries to hold off blood-dimmed tides.

From Salon

The star's performance was beset by technical issues, which left her voice muffled and distorted for at least 30 minutes.

From BBC

Oonce people accept these lies as truth, their minds seek only information that confirms these beliefs, and social media algorithms push them even deeper into this distorted worldview.

From Salon

Related Words

• alter
• belie
• deceive
• disfigure
• mangle
• misconstrue
• misinterpret
• misrepresent
• pervert
• twist
• warp