malformed
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of malformed
First recorded in 1810–20; mal- + formed ( def. )
Explanation
Something malformed has a shape that's twisted or warped, or otherwise distorted. Your first try at making pottery might result in a couple of malformed bowls. If you leave a doll in the hot sunlight for hours, she may melt and become malformed. Sometimes parts of the body are malformed because of birth defects or accidents. If you're born with a malformed spine, you may wear a brace to straighten it out. If your feet are malformed, your choice of shoes will be limited. Malformed combines the prefix mal-, "badly or wrongly," with formed, from the Latin forma, "shape or appearance."
Vocabulary lists containing malformed
Shape Up: Form
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: mal
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: form
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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.
As he moves deeper and finds scattered, malformed remnants of his past inside the chartreuse oblivion, Clark makes a Faustian pact with whatever entities are inside the Backrooms.
From Salon ● May 30, 2026
Eurex, part of Germany’s Deutsche Börse, said it enforces its rules and has tools to detect malformed data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
In 2024, a three-day old baby in Kolkata city died a day after he underwent surgery to remove two malformed foetuses from his abdomen.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2025
Veterinarians determined the female cub had a malformed shoulder and elbow, along with a BB pellet embedded in her paw, the nonprofit said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2025
Mutations in the genes thus result in malformed, ectopic segments and organs.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
