ENGLISH
REFERENCE

distort

v.
C1 Advanced Oxford US //dɪˈstɔɹt// UK //dɪstˈɔːt// dis·tort Academic Archaic

v. to change the shape or sound of something so it looks or feels strange. It also means to change facts or information so they are no longer true.

v. to pull or twist out of a natural or original shape; to give a misleading or false account or impression of something. Transitive — requires a direct object.


SIMPLE

The old mirror distorts my reflection.

CONTEXTUAL

The politician was accused of trying to distort the facts to win more votes.

COMPLEX

High levels of electronic interference can significantly distort the signal, leading to a complete loss of data integrity during the transmission process.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Latin distortum, past participle of distorqueō (“to twist, torture, distort”).

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. Often used in passive constructions when describing physical changes or biased reporting.

Pitfall

The news distorted about the event.The news distorted the event.Distort is a transitive verb and should not be followed by the preposition 'about'.

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