contorted
Americanadjective
-
twisted in a violent manner; distorted.
-
twisted back on itself; convoluted.
adjective
-
twisted out of shape
-
(esp of petals and sepals in a bud) twisted so that they overlap on one side
Other Word Forms
- contortedly adverb
- contortedness noun
- intercontorted adjective
- uncontorted adjective
- uncontortedly adverb
Etymology
Origin of contorted
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.
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
So, where did a baseball-loving future MLB star growing up in Sherman Oaks come to such a contorted conclusion?
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 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
It has contorted statutory language to stop immigrants from obtaining effective relief against wrongful detention and deportation.
From Slate • Jul. 11, 2025
She tried to smile, but the pain contorted her expression into a grimace.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
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.
