distort

verb

dis·​tort di-ˈstȯrt 

distorted; distorting; distorts

transitive verb

1

: to twist (see twist entry 1 sense 3b) out of the true meaning or proportion : to alter to give a false or unnatural picture or account

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

The singer's voice was electronically distorted.

3

: pervert

distort justice

intransitive verb

: to become distorted

Heat caused the wax figures to distort.

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

distorter noun

Synonyms

• bend
• color
• cook
• falsify
• fudge
• garble
• misinterpret
• misrelate
• misrepresent
• misstate
• pervert
• slant
• twist
• warp

Choose the Right Synonym for distort

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 distort in a Sentence

Her face was distorted by pain.

The odd camera angle distorted her figure in the photograph.

The sound of the guitar was distorted.

Heat caused the plastic to distort.

She felt he was distorting the facts.

The story was distorted by the press.

The loss of both her parents at an early age distorted her outlook on life.

Recent Examples on the Web

The movie, named after a popular 1950s song, evoked and distorted the midcentury suburban fantasy. —Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2025

Trump, who pulled out of his own planned interview with CBS, had alleged CBS had distorted the interview to aid Harris. —David Folkenflik, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025

Separately, the Media and Democracy Project filed a petition to deny a license renewal for WTXF-TV in Philadelphia, a station owned and operated by Fox, alleging that Fox willfully distorted news with false reports of fraud in the 2020 election that Trump lost. —Ars Technica, 16 Jan. 2025

He was challenged by historians, denounced across the French political spectrum, including by mainstream conservatives, and convicted at least seven times of inciting racial hatred or distorting the historical record. —Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin distortus, past participle of distorquēre, from dis- + torquēre to twist — more at torture entry 1

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

distort

verb

dis·​tort dis-ˈtȯ(ə)rt 

1

: to tell in a way that is misleading : misrepresent

distorted the facts

2

: to twist out of a natural, normal, or original shape or condition

distorter noun

Etymology

from Latin distortus, past participle of distorquēre "to distort, twist out of proper meaning," from dis- "reverse, apart" and torquēre "to twist" — related to extort, retort, torture