distort

dis·tort

verb \di-ˈstȯrt\

Definition of DISTORT

transitive verb

1

: to twist out of the true meaning or proportion <distorted the facts>

2

: to twist out of a natural, normal, or original shape or condition <a face distorted by pain>; also : to cause to be perceived unnaturally <the new lights distorted colors>

3

: pervert <distort justice>

intransitive verb

: to become distorted; also : to cause a twisting from the true, natural, or normal

— dis·tort·er noun

Examples of DISTORT

1. Her face was distorted by pain.
2. The odd camera angle distorted her figure in the photograph.
3. The sound of the guitar was distorted.
4. Heat caused the plastic to distort.
5. She felt he was distorting the facts.
6. The story was distorted by the press.
7. The loss of both her parents at an early age distorted her outlook on life.

Origin of DISTORT

Latin distortus, past participle of distorquēre, from dis- + torquēre to twist — more at torture

First Known Use: 1567

Related to DISTORT

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

Related Words: 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: clarify, clear (up), explain, illuminate, illustrate, interpret, spell out; decipher

see all synonyms and antonyms

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See Synonym Discussion at deform

Rhymes with DISTORT

abort, airport, amort, aport, assort, athwart, backcourt, bellwort, birthwort, bistort, blood sport, Bridgeport, carport, cavort, cohort, colewort, comport, consort, contort, crosscourt, deport, disport, downcourt, effort, escort, exhort, export, extort, fall short, figwort, forecourt, for short, free port, frontcourt, glasswort, Gosport, Gulfport, half-court, homeport, home port, in short, jetport, lousewort, lungwort, madwort, milkwort, mugwort, Newport, outport, passport, presort, purport, ragwort, report, re-sort, resort, retort, sandwort, seaport, sell short, Shreveport, spaceport, spearwort, spoilsport, Stockport, support, toothwort, transport