contort
Americanverb (used with object)
-
contorts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contorted,
past participle, past
-
contorting
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
contorts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contorted,
past participle, past
-
contorting
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
contortsimple
-
contortssimple
-
have contortedperfect
-
has contortedperfect
-
am contortingprogressive
-
are contortingprogressive
-
is contortingprogressive
-
have been contortingperfect progressive
-
has been contortingperfect progressive
Past
-
contortedsimple
-
had contortedperfect
-
was contortingprogressive
-
were contortingprogressive
-
had been contortingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of contort
1555–65; < Latin contortus twisted together, past participle of contorquēre. See con-, tort
Explanation
To contort something is to bend or twist it out of its original shape. Faces are often said to contort with one particular emotion or another. In general contort refers to something that is fairly adaptable and can return to its previous shape. A face, after it has contorted with rage, for example, will return to its normal expression (unless you've done something really bad.). If you bend or twist your sister's doll, you "break it" rather than "contort it."
Vocabulary lists containing contort
Of Mice and Men
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Twists and Turns: Tor
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Long Way Gone
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As much as the series is Mary’s bluestocking origin story, it also spells her freedom, which comes from no longer trying to impress or contort herself to fit the expectations of others.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
This is a book of endless storytelling, as characters contort themselves to please the regime’s shifting narratives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
When it was retired last year, it was replaced with a newer, fully electric model developers said could contort its metal frame in even more ways.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2025
Ozy leaders were willing not just to fabricate numbers and forge documents, but also to contort themselves to fit into whatever distorted mold they thought would benefit the company.
From Slate ● Dec. 12, 2024
Somehow, Tiny Cooper manages to contort himself so that his massive head cries on my narrow shoulder.
From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan
Nevertheless, a cheeky portion of blue-green paint contorts itself into a standing position in the corner, fighting against the weight that urges the rest of the work Earthward.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
As Justice Sonia Sotomayor explained in dissent, this reasoning contorts the English language beyond recognition.
From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2026
An actor differs: “One contorts oneself thousands of times, but dies only once … It’s simply not worth it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2025
Throughout every production, Curry contorts his voice for each character Man, Mooncakes and Monet meet.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 24, 2024
At the mention of my name, Peeta’s face contorts in effort.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Yu Ji’s cement sculptures take the shape of contorted human bodies—not uncomfortable but limberly twisted and folded—that are missing limbs; their contrasting materials and postures at once suggest permanence and evanescence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
Davidson would have to be carried by her teammates and coaches to the bench, where her face contorted in pain as trainers examined her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
Acquiring the semiautonomous Danish territory would further elevate his claims to greatness and the status of legend in his own contorted reality.
From Salon ● Jan. 13, 2026
Natalie said at times Beth would spend hours lying with her body "contorted" into specific positions that enabled her to bear the agony.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2025
He shouted something, and his face looked contorted.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
I have watched videos of people doing cold plunges, giving themselves ear massages and contorting themselves into impossible stretches all in the name of fixing dysregulation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
As I crouched behind a rippling fountain, stretching and contorting my body to attain the correct angle, I began to wonder, “Do the Lumineers think I’m some kind of a lunatic?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
Images of Vance have sprouted up on X contorting his face into that of, well, everything you can imagine.
From Slate ● Mar. 5, 2025
His gift for contorting himself through the air and landing on the designated spot has made him one of the most sought-after stuntmen.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024
“Delicious,” Rio answered, contorting his body so no gravy dripped on his shirt.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
