contorted

[ kuhn-tawr-tid ]

/ kənˈtɔr tɪd /

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See synonyms for contorted on Thesaurus.com

adjective

twisted in a violent manner; distorted.

twisted back on itself; convoluted.

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Origin of contorted

First recorded in 1615–25; contort + -ed²

OTHER WORDS FROM contorted

con·tort·ed·ly, adverbcon·tort·ed·ness, nounin·ter·con·tort·ed, adjectiveun·con·tort·ed, adjective

un·con·tort·ed·ly, adverb

Words nearby contorted

continuum, continuum hypothesis, conto, contoid, contort, contorted, contortion, contortionist, contortive, contour, contour curtain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use contorted in a sentence

Without being didactic, Smith debunks contorted arguments that the Civil War was not about slavery.
On a tour of historical sites, examining how the story of slavery is taught|Martha Toll|June 4, 2021|Washington Post
This is what the Fairfax County School Board has been wrestling with in a drawn-out, contorted debate about whether to expand the holiday calendar to add Jewish and Muslim holidays, something school districts across the nation already have done.
Not every student is Christian. So why don’t all school districts recognize that?|Petula Dvorak|March 4, 2021|Washington Post
For most proteins, researchers have the sequence of amino acids in the ribbon but not the contorted shape they fold into.
DeepMind’s protein-folding AI has solved a 50-year-old grand challenge of biology|Will Heaven|November 30, 2020|MIT Technology Review
The Hipgnosis founders took a quick look at the strangely-lit photos of contorted bodies….
The Golden Age of Rock Album Covers|Ted Gioia|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But then, with their contorted physiques and feral grimaces they speak directly to the Basquiats.
The Art World’s New Gang War|Anthony Haden-Guest|May 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her face contorted and her left hand retreated from the microphone to the back of her neck.
Paris Jackson, the Girl We Met at Michael’s Funeral, in Suicide Scare|Michael Daly|June 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It was sobering: the desperate denial, the contorted excuses.
Why the South Loves Guns|David Sessions|December 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The plea bargain was swiftly contorted into an outright means of extorting inculpatory perjury to bring down targeted individuals.
Conrad Black: Tom DeLay, American Hero, Fights The Good Fight|Conrad Black|October 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Their eyes care little for the soft, changing colours of the ocean or the vast, contorted masses of the clouds.
Child Life In Town And Country|Anatole France
He made an effort, contorted himself as much as he could, and penetrated into the cave as far as he was able.
Toilers of the Sea|Victor Hugo
His body was contorted by gasping sobs, and his feet tapped the floor with the rapidity of those of a man running at top speed.
The Winning Clue|James Hay, Jr.
The bird's-eye maple has its fibers so singularly contorted as to produce numerous little knots which look like the eye of a bird.
Birds and All Nature, Vol. VI, No. 3, October 1899|Various
As she watched him he looked at her, and a spasm of pain contorted his face.
The Devil|Joseph O'Brien

British Dictionary definitions for contorted

contorted

/ (kənˈtɔːtɪd) /

adjective

twisted out of shape

(esp of petals and sepals in a bud) twisted so that they overlap on one side

Derived forms of contorted

contortedly, adverbcontortedness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

contorted

Origin of contorted

OTHER WORDS FROM contorted

Words nearby contorted

Words related to contorted

How to use contorted in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for contorted

Derived forms of contorted