misshapen
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- misshapenly adverb
- misshapenness noun
Etymology
Origin of misshapen
1350–1400; Middle English: past participle of misshape; -en 3
Explanation
Something that has an abnormal form or shape is misshapen. For example, you might find an old misshapen Barbie, with messy hair and missing limbs, at the bottom of a toy chest. Things that are so malformed or distorted that they look weird or ugly are misshapen. Ballet dancers sometimes end up with misshapen feet after years of cramming them into pointe shoes, and when you grow your own vegetables in your back yard, you often end up with misshapen ones that taste delicious. Misshapen comes from the Old English roots mis, "wrong," and scapan, "to create or form."
Vocabulary lists containing misshapen
Wonder
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Number the Stars
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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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.
Some bakers struggled with presentation, giving judges misshapen, funky-looking bakes.
From Salon • Sep. 25, 2025
While the blobfish is known for its misshapen silhouette, in its natural deep-sea habitat it actually resembles a regular fish, with its shape kept together by the high water pressure.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2025
What has followed is a generation of pitchers with better stuff across the board, but also more red flags for potential long-term injuries — from worn-down elbow ligaments to misshapen bones in their shoulder.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2025
These misshapen proteins can disrupt mitochondria’s ability to produce the energy cells need.
From Science Magazine • May 22, 2024
A misshapen armadillo caught my eye, warped and buckled and lumpy, obviously stuffed by the most inept amateur.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
