noun
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a deformed condition; disfigurement
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pathol an acquired or congenital distortion of an organ or part
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a deformed person or thing
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a defect, esp of the mind or morals; depravity
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deformity
1350–1400; Middle English deformite < Old French < Latin dēfōrmitās, equivalent to dēfōrm ( is ) deform 2 + -itās -ity
Explanation
A deformity happens when a body part is misshapen. A deformity can also be a change for the worse in something's appearance. A two-headed kitten has a deformity. Usually a deformity is the result of an accident or a genetic defect. Although most people want to avoid deformities, in the novel Geek Love by Katherine Dunn (1989), the mother of a circus family takes drugs while she’s pregnant, hoping to cause deformities in her children. She succeeds with her son Arturo, who has flippers instead of arms and legs. In his world, people with regular arms and legs have the deformity.
Vocabulary lists containing deformity
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.
The publicly-owned ferry operator confirmed to BBC Scotland News that action was under way to recover some of those repair costs following an investigation into the cause of the hull deformity.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2025
Surgery is often required to prevent heel deformity.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2024
Growth plates are weaker than the surrounding muscles and bones and prone to injury that can lead to either reversible changes or permanent deformity.
From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2023
I'm thinking of the anecdote in your book where Alfie was seemingly unaware of her own deformity while flapping around with her partially formed feathers.
From Salon • Oct. 1, 2023
He saw five fingers, and there was no deformity.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
