misshapen

adjective

mis·​shap·​en ˌmis-ˈshā-pən 

1

: having an ugly or deformed shape

It is, in fact, a homely and misshapen little gray airplane that looks like it was cobbled together in someone's garage.

—Patricia Trenner

2

: morally or intellectually deformed or distorted

misshapen ideas of justice

misshapenly adverb

She has brought Trot, her mangy mongrel, with her. He lies misshapenly across her vast lap …

—John le Carré

misshapenness noun

… masterpieces of dullness, misshapenness, and folly …

—Louis Simpson

Synonyms

• deformed
• distorted
• malformed
• monstrous
• shapeless

Examples of misshapen in a Sentence

the returning camper proudly presented his mother with a misshapen clay bowl that he had made in crafts class

Recent Examples on the Web

This condition happens when the aortic valve is misshapen, having two leaflets instead of three. —Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2024

Two of its links are artfully misshapen, as if rebelling against being a conventional cable. —Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2024

While roughing it in minimal tents on misshapen ground is the norm for American backpackers, inn-to-inn hiking lets a trekker luxuriate with a hot meal and a plush bed at the end of a long foot-sore day. —Dakota Kim, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024

Heavy clay soil can cause misshapen bulbs while poor drainage encourages rot. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

misshapen

adjective

mis·​shap·​en

(ˈ)mis-ˈshā-pən,

(ˈ)mish-

: badly shaped : having an ugly shape