distortion

American  

[dih-stawr-shuhn] / dɪˈstɔr ʃən /

noun

• distortions
  plural

1. an act or instance of distorting.

2. the state of being distorted or the relative degree or amount by which something is distorted or distorts.

3. anything that is distorted, as a sound, image, fact, etc.

4. Optics. an aberration of a lens or system of lenses in which the magnification of the object varies with the lateral distance from the axis of the lens.

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distortion British  

/ dɪˈstɔːʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of distorting or the state of being distorted

2. something that is distorted

3. an aberration of a lens or optical system in which the magnification varies with the lateral distance from the axis

4. electronics

   1. an undesired change in the shape of an electromagnetic wave or signal

   2. the result of such a change in waveform, esp a loss of clarity in radio reception or sound reproduction

5. psychol a change in perception so that it does not correspond to reality

6. psychoanal the disguising of the meaning of unconscious thoughts so that they may appear in consciousness, e.g. in dreams

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondistortion
  noun
• overdistortion
  noun
• distortional
  adjective
• distortionary
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• distortions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of distortion

First recorded in 1575–85, distortion is from the Latin word distortiōn- (stem of distortiō ). See distort, -ion

Explanation

A distortion is a change, twist, or exaggeration that makes something appear different from the way it really is. You can distort an image, a thought, or even an idea. To say that I never take out the garbage is a distortion of the facts. The heat from the highway creates a distortion in the way objects in the distance appear: They wiggle and dance. The heat creates a wavy distortion in the air that shakes up the image of the things beyond it. Things are the way they are: to change them is to distort them or to create a distortion. Some guitar players prefer distortion: they plug their instrument into amps and pedals that twist and stretch the sound so much that you might not even recognize its source as a guitar.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

distortion distortions

A guidepost of Chilean hyper-pop, it is also a heart-wrenching mash of tenderness and distortion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

That distortion would change the apparent size of the patterns.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

They denounced "the state failing to regulate prices", which "allows an integrated group that benefits from considerable upstream margins to dictate, to blackmail, leading to this distortion of competition."

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

But curved cockpit windows are challenging to make – the slightest distortion or defect is clearly visible to the pilot.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Even on stealth-sensitive radar he would be no more than a barely perceptible distortion.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Manson said the claims were "horrible distortions of reality" and his "intimate relationships had always been entirely consensual".

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

“In particular, countries with excessive and persistent external surpluses should remove distortions that constrain domestic consumption and that result in an overreliance on exports for growth,” the Treasury statement said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

It’s also necessary to limit distortions to private-sector behavior, since private capital and competitive incentives drive the kind of innovation and financial firepower the rest of the world envies.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

Like other national myths, this is all a mix of lies, truths and distortions of reality — and ideals and aspirations.

From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026

However–and here’s the thing–people on the train would have no sense of these distortions.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• bias
• exaggeration
• lie
• misinterpretation
• misrepresentation
• misstatement
• misuse