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

Preceding Unger’s piece is a series of vases that transition from the more functional—Marguerite Wildenhain’s 1966 stoneware crock—to Peter Voulkos’s Sibley, a wonderfully misshapen vessel from 1992. —Grace Edquist, Vogue, 20 June 2024

Calcium deficiency can cause misshapen fruit and aborted buds. —Dr. Haiying Tao, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2024

The factory also offers misshapen and broken crisps for sale. —Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 2 May 2024

This is the safest sleep position but can result in misshapen heads that are flat on the side or back. —Maria Carter, Parents, 16 Nov. 2023

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