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contorted

[kuh n-tawr-tid]
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adjective
  1. twisted in a violent manner; distorted.
  2. twisted back on itself; convoluted.
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Origin of contorted

First recorded in 1615–25; contort + -ed2
Related formscon·tort·ed·ly, adverbcon·tort·ed·ness, nounin·ter·con·tort·ed, adjectiveun·con·tort·ed, adjectiveun·con·tort·ed·ly, adverb

contort

[kuh n-tawrt]
verb (used with object)
  1. to twist, bend, or draw out of shape; distort.
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verb (used without object)
  1. to become twisted, distorted, or strained: His face contorted into a grotesque sneer.
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Origin of contort

1555–65; < Latin contortus twisted together, past participle of contorquēre. See con-, tort
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for contorted

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • The pink plump face was contorted in a furtive grimace of deprecation.

    The Black Bag

    Louis Joseph Vance

  • The balloons were strained, contorted out of all proportion in their eagerness.

    Life Sentence

    James McConnell

  • I had expected to see it discomposed, contorted, despairing.

    Falk

    Joseph Conrad

  • His face was contorted with devilish triumph, and I knew he meant to kill.

    The Trail of '98

    Robert W. Service

  • Foliage should always be studied at its prime, never when it is dried and contorted in its forms.

    Wood-Carving

    George Jack

British Dictionary definitions for contorted

contorted

adjective
  1. twisted out of shape
  2. (esp of petals and sepals in a bud) twisted so that they overlap on one side
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Derived Formscontortedly, adverbcontortedness, noun

contort

verb
  1. to twist or bend severely out of place or shape, esp in a strained manner
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Derived Formscontortive, adjective

Word Origin

C15: from Latin contortus intricate, obscure, from contorquēre to whirl around, from torquēre to twist, wrench
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

Word Origin and History for contorted

contort

v.

early 15c., from Latin contortus, past participle of contorquere "to whirl, twist together," from com- "together" or intensive (see com-) + torquere "to twist" (see thwart). Related: Contorted; contorting.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper