Word
distort
Meanings
to change the shape or appearance of something so it becomes twisted or unnatural
to make a sound or signal unclear or unnatural, especially because of poor quality or interference
to report, interpret, or present information in a way that changes the truth and creates a misleading impression
Definition
To distort means to change something from its true or natural shape, sound, or meaning so it becomes inaccurate or misleading.
To distort is to alter the shape, sound, or meaning of something so that it no longer matches the original. This can happen physically (bending or stretching), technically (poor audio quality), or in communication (misrepresenting facts). It often suggests an unfair or unreliable change that makes people misunderstand what is real.
Examples
- I didn’t mean to distort your argument; I was summarizing it too quickly.
- The cheap microphone tends to distort my voice whenever I speak loudly.
- She worried that anxiety would distort her perception of what people were actually saying.
- They accused the commentator of trying to distort the timeline to fit a simpler story.
- The heat can distort the plastic casing, so he keeps the device out of direct sunlight.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse distort with distract, but distort means “change something so it becomes inaccurate,” not “take attention away.”
More at C1 level
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More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.