distort

verb

dis·​tort di-ˈstȯrt How to pronounce distort (audio)
distorted; distorting; distorts
Synonyms of distort

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 of distort

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
She was held up as the pop cultural equivalent of a saint to a degree that sometimes obscured and distorted her creative drive and business acumen. — Jewly Hight, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 The use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials is controversial, with critics saying the practice chills creative expression and allows prosecutors to distort hyperbolic art in ways that reinforce racist stereotypes. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2026 What's more, the results remained consistent even in patients with comorbidities like chronic kidney disease and diabetes, which can distort plasma amyloid samples. — New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2026 However, sending light through the atmosphere creates another problem, which is that turbulence can distort its path and potentially scramble the quantum information. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for distort

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of distort was in 1567

Rhymes for distort

See All Rhymes for distort

Browse Nearby Words

Distomidae
distort
distorted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Distort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distort. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

distort

verb
dis·​tort dis-ˈtȯ(ə)rt How to pronounce distort (audio)
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

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