deform

verb

de·​form di-ˈfȯrm 

dē-

deformed; deforming; deforms

transitive verb

1

: to spoil the form of

2

a

: to spoil the looks of : disfigure

a face deformed by bitterness

b

: to mar the character of

a marriage deformed by jealousy

3

: to alter the shape of by stress

intransitive verb

: to become misshapen or changed in shape

deformable

di-ˈfȯr-mə-bəl 

dē-

adjective

Synonyms

• contort
• distort
• misshape
• screw
• squinch
• torture
• warp

Choose the Right Synonym for deform

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

Examples of deform in a Sentence

The disease eventually deforms the bones.

The disease eventually causes the bones to deform.

Recent Examples on the Web

These were freeze-dried to prevent any water left from deforming them, then further observed using X-ray, micro-CT, and SEM imaging, which showed that the outer part of the crust, which was most exposed to the air, was more dense. —Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 8 Apr. 2024

Even better, these mirrors can be quite thin and can deform their shape on demand to overcome the blurring induced by Earth's atmosphere. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 23 Nov. 2023

Colleges would not operate as amusement parks that deform the cultural expectations and economic incentives of young people; instead, they would be recognized as one path among many, present prospective students with their real cost and thus represent an attractive option for some but not most. —Oren Cass, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2021

While historically debates were confined to good-spirited discussions on public policy issues, Trump over the last two presidential cycles has deformed the tradition with uncontrolled outbursts and an avalanche of lies. —Hadas Gold, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French desfurmer, from Latin deformare, from de- + formare to form, from forma form

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

deform

verb

de·​form di-ˈfȯ(ə)rm 

ˈdē-

: to make or become misshapen or changed in shape

deformation

ˌdē-ˌfȯr-ˈmā-shən

ˌdef-ər-

noun