distended
Americanadjective
-
increased, as in size, volume, etc.; expanded; dilated.
the distended nostrils of the terrified horse.
-
swollen, by or as by internal pressure, out of normal size or shape; protuberant.
distended wineskins; the distended arteries of his neck.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of distended
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.
To actually feel intoxicated, a chimp would need to eat so much fruit that its stomach would become painfully distended.
From Science Daily • Dec. 1, 2025
Zar Zar has a distended belly because of a serious abdominal injury.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2025
Onyeaka wondered if that abundance could be harnessed to feed people in conflict zones where children were suffering from malnutrition, their distended stomachs a clear sign of protein deficiency.
From Salon • Jan. 29, 2025
The first two were great fun, and apparently being subsumed into the distended viscera of the MCU won’t stop “Deadpool and Wolverine” or whatever from being R-rated fun.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2024
Swollen legs and arms flopped with distended disjointedness.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
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.
