distorted
UK: dɪˈstɔːtɪd | US: dɪˈstɔːrtɪd
adj. twisted or pulled out of shape; deformed
adj. giving a misleading or false account or impression
vt. (past tense of distort) to alter the original shape, sound, or meaning of something
distorted = dis<apart> + tort<twist> + ed<past participle suffix>
- dis-: A Latin prefix meaning "apart" or "away," often indicating reversal or negation.
- tort: From Latin tortus (twisted), the root of words like torture (twisting pain) and contort (twist violently).
- -ed: A suffix marking the past tense or past participle form of verbs.
Etymology Origin:
The word distorted traces back to Latin distortus, combining dis- (apart) and torquere (to twist). It originally described physical twisting (e.g., a deformed object) but expanded metaphorically to describe misrepresentation (e.g., "distorted facts"). The logic is clear: twisting something apart from its true form.
The mirror reflected a distorted image of her face.
His anger distorted his judgment.
The media often distorts scientific findings for sensationalism.
The recording was distorted by static.
Pain distorted his features into a grimace.