distortion
Americannoun
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an act or instance of distorting.
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the state of being distorted or the relative degree or amount by which something is distorted or distorts.
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anything that is distorted, as a sound, image, fact, etc.
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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.
noun
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the act or an instance of distorting or the state of being distorted
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something that is distorted
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an aberration of a lens or optical system in which the magnification varies with the lateral distance from the axis
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electronics
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an undesired change in the shape of an electromagnetic wave or signal
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the result of such a change in waveform, esp a loss of clarity in radio reception or sound reproduction
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psychol a change in perception so that it does not correspond to reality
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psychoanal the disguising of the meaning of unconscious thoughts so that they may appear in consciousness, e.g. in dreams
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing distortion
Twists and Turns: Tor
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Content Summary G.1: Principles of Geography
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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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.
Members of the Adolescents, the Vandals and Social Distortion are profiled about their wild contributions to punk rock in new book ‘Tearing Down the Orange Curtain,’ out May 20.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
Danell, who learned to play guitar as a member of Social Distortion, died in 2000; today, Ness is the only founding member left in the group.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
This essay is adapted from their report, “The Distortion of American Studies.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
Fullerton’s Adolescents, and Social Distortion, traces of those British bands can be heard.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2025
Distortion will be followed by disruption and disintegration.
From The Energy System of Matter A Deduction from Terrestrial Energy Phenomena by Weir, James
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.
