Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense distorts, present participle distorting, past tense, past participle distorted
1. verb
If you distort a statement, fact, or idea, you report or represent it in an untrue way.
The media distorts reality; categorises people as all good or all bad. [VERB noun]
The minister has said his remarks at the weekend have been distorted. [VERB noun]
distortedadjective
These figures give a distorted view of the significance for the local economy.
Synonyms: deformed, bent, twisted, crooked More Synonyms of distort
Synonyms: misrepresented, twisted, false, coloured More Synonyms of distort
2. verb
If something you can see or hear is distorted or distorts, its appearance or sound is changed so that it seems unclear.
A painter may exaggerate or distort shapes and forms. [VERB noun]
His size was persistently distorted by the cartoonists. [VERB noun]
This caused the sound to distort. [VERB]
distortedadjective
Sound was becoming more and more distorted through the use of hearing aids.
Synonyms: deformed, bent, twisted, crooked More Synonyms of distort
More Synonyms of distort
distort in British English
(dɪˈstɔːt)
verb(transitive)
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
distorted (disˈtorted)
adjective
distortedly (disˈtortedly)
adverb
distortedness (disˈtortedness)
noun
distorter (disˈtorter)
noun
distortive (disˈtortive)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from Latin distortus misshapen, from distorquēre to turn different ways, from dis-1 + torquēre to twist
distort in American English
(dɪˈstɔrt)
verb transitive
1.
to twist out of shape; change the usual or normal shape, form, or appearance of
2.
to misrepresent; misstate; pervert
to distort the facts
3.
to modify (a wave, sound, signal, etc.) so as to produce an unfaithful reproduction
SIMILAR WORDS: deˈform
Derived forms
distorter (disˈtorter)
noun
Word origin
< L distortus, pp. of distorquere, distort < dis-, intens. + torquere, to twist: see tort
Examples of 'distort' in a sentence
distort
They acknowledge that their memories may be distorting the facts.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
The lack of gravity also appears to have a distorting effect on the eyes.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Direction is maintained but shape is distorted.
Jilbert, John Geography Basic Facts (1983)
Once again the high culture of the past is misrepresented through the distorting spectacles of the present.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
They said that it had printed false information to distort the facts.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Some experts fear this limit is distorting the whole economy.
The Sun (2008)
The interdependence of diversified firms as buyers and sellers may also distort competition.
Pass, Christopher, Lowes, Bryan Collins Dictionary of Economics (1993)
Some businesses will be hit and it will have other distorting effects.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is easy to implement and distorts the economy less than other options.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Racial and generational dynamics have propelled him further upward and may be distorting the overall picture.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Very loose monetary policy has helped to stabilise the economy but it has also had distorting side effects.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
These beliefs cloud and distort reality.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Not because it distorts the facts.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He claims that people who are deluded about themselves and who distort reality in their favour face a whole host of problems.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The voice on the other end sounds distorted, and a bit panicked.
Christianity Today (2000)
As pressure in the brain increased it began pressing on their eyeballs, distorting their shape.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Clearly, there are facts in this tale that have been misrepresented or distorted.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Your mother says that you distort the facts, if not outright imagine things.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The exorbitant cost of health care is distorting the entire economy in America.
McKenzie, James F. & Pinger, Robert R. An Introduction to Community Health (1995)
He suggested the figures may have been distorted by two particular components: construction and energy.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Entrepreneurs are often so dazzled by imaginings of their own brilliance that they forget to look at history and reality becomes distorted by grandiose dreams.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He brings history to life by telling the stories of the obscure, unsung people who are being shaped and distorted by it.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
They said he was right not to turn up the volume because it risked distorting the sound, though this was agreed procedure before the series.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
They can distort colours, sounds, objects and senses of time and movement.
The Sun (2014)
In other languages
distort
British English: distort VERB
If you distort a statement, fact, or idea, you report or represent it in an untrue way.
The media distorts reality; categorizes people as all good or all bad.
American English: distort
Brazilian Portuguese: distorcer
Chinese: 歪曲
European Spanish: distorsionar
French: déformer
German: verzerren
Italian: distorcere
Japanese: ゆがめる
Korean: 왜곡하다
European Portuguese: distorcer
Latin American Spanish: distorsionar
Chinese translation of 'distort'
distort
(dɪsˈtɔːt)
vt
[statement, fact, idea]歪曲 (wāiqū)
[sound, shape, image]使失真 (shǐ shīzhēn)
1 (verb)
Definition
to alter or misrepresent (facts)
The media distorts reality.
Synonyms
misrepresent
The extent of the current strike is being misrepresented.
twist
It's a shame the way the media can twist your words.
bias
We mustn't allow it to bias our teaching.
disguise
pervert
attempting to pervert the course of justice
slant
The coverage was deliberately slanted to make the home team look good.
colour
He wrote a highly coloured account of his childhood.
misinterpret
The Prince's words had been misinterpreted.
falsify
The charges against him include fraud, bribery, and falsifying business records.
garble
2 (verb)
Definition
to twist out of shape
Make sure the image isn't distorted by lumps and bumps.
Synonyms
deform
Plastic deforms when subjected to heat.
bend
Bend the bar into a horseshoe.
twist
The car was left a mess of twisted metal.
warp
Rainwater had warped the door's timber.
buckle
A freak wave had buckled the deck.
mangle
After being crushed, the car was mangled beyond all recognition.
mangulate (Australian, slang)
disfigure
ugly new houses which disfigure the countryside
contort
His face contorts as he screams out the lyrics.
gnarl
misshape
malform
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bend
Definition
to form a curve
Bend the bar into a horseshoe.
Synonyms
twist,
turn,
wind,
lean,
hook,
bow,
curve,
arch,
incline,
arc,
deflect,
warp,
buckle,
coil,
flex,
stoop,
veer,
swerve,
diverge,
contort,
inflect,
incurvate
in the sense of bias
Definition
to cause to have a bias
We mustn't allow it to bias our teaching.
Synonyms
influence,
colour,
weight,
prejudice,
distort,
sway,
warp,
slant,
predispose
in the sense of buckle
Definition
to bend or cause to bend out of shape, esp. as a result of pressure or heat