# distortion

/dɪˈstɔɹʃən/ (US) · /dɪstˈɔːʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/distortion
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 2. physical shape

noun · CEFR B2

a change in the shape of something that makes it look strange or unnatural.

For teachers: a change in the physical shape, appearance, or proportions of an object or image.

- The heat from the fire caused a strange distortion in the glass window.
- Wide-angle lenses often produce a noticeable distortion at the edges of the frame, making straight lines appear curved.

### 3. audio/sound

noun · CEFR B2

an unpleasant change in a sound, often making it fuzzy or unclear.

For teachers: an unwanted change in an audio signal during amplification or recording, resulting in a fuzzy or harsh sound quality.

- The cheap speakers produced a lot of distortion when the volume was turned up.
- Heavy metal guitarists intentionally use distortion pedals to create a thick, aggressive sound that defines the genre.

### 4. optical aberration

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a problem with a lens that makes an image look blurry or stretched.

For teachers: an aberration in an optical system that causes magnification to vary across the field of view.

- The scientist adjusted the microscope to fix the distortion in the image.
- The telescope's primary mirror required precise calibration to eliminate the spherical distortion that was blurring distant star clusters.

## Examples

- The mirror caused a funny distortion of my face.
- The loud music created a distortion that made the speech hard to understand.
- Political propaganda often relies on the deliberate distortion of historical facts to shape public opinion and justify current policies.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.