distort

12 synonyms and 1 antonym for distort, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To twist something out of its normal shape.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

color colour

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

twist strain warp

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

twine wring tinge falsify garble deform contort

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To twist something out of its normal shape.

“The heat began to distort the plastic frame.”

color colour twist strain warp twine wring tinge falsify garble deform contort

2. verb

To give a false or misleading version of the truth.

“The article distorted what the scientist had actually said.”

Opposites

rectify

How to use distort

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

distort the truth distort the image distort reality

Etymology

From Latin distortum, the past participle of distorquēre, "to twist" or "to torture" — combining dis- ("apart") with torquēre ("to twist"), the same root that gives us torque and torture.

Full origin of distort →

Frequently asked questions

What does “distort” mean?

The word “distort” means to twist something out of its normal shape. In plain terms, to warp something's shape, or twist the truth so it becomes misleading.

How do you pronounce “distort”?

“Distort” is pronounced dihs-TAWT (/dɪsˈtoɹt/ in IPA).

How do you use “distort” in a sentence?

Here is “distort” used in a sentence: “The heat began to distort the plastic frame.”

What part of speech is “distort”?

“Distort” is a verb.

Where does the word “distort” come from?

The word “distort” comes from Latin. From Latin distortum, the past participle of distorquēre, "to twist" or "to torture" — combining dis- ("apart") with torquēre ("to twist"), the same root that gives us torque and torture.

Is “distort” a common word?

“Distort” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “distort” have?

“Distort” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to twist something out of its normal shape.

Related words

distorted distortion

People also searched

color colour twist strain warp rectify garble contort wring twine falsify tinge

Nearby words

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