transform
Americanverb (used with object)
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transforms,
present (3rd person singular)
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transformed,
past participle, past
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transforming
present participle
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to change in form, appearance, or structure; metamorphose.
- Synonyms:
- transfigure
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to change in condition, nature, or character; convert.
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to change into another substance; transmute.
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Electricity.
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to increase or decrease (the voltage and current characteristics of an alternating-current circuit), as by means of a transformer.
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to decrease (the voltage and current characteristics of a direct-current circuit), as by means of a transformer.
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Mathematics. to change the form of (a figure, expression, etc.) without in general changing the value.
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Physics. to change into another form of energy.
verb (used without object)
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transforms,
present (3rd person singular)
-
transformed,
past participle, past
-
transforming
present participle
noun
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Mathematics.
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a mathematical quantity obtained from a given quantity by an algebraic, geometric, or functional transformation.
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the transformation itself.
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the result of a transformation.
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a transformation.
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Logic. transformation.
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Linguistics. a structure derived by a transformation.
verb
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to alter or be altered radically in form, function, etc
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(tr) to convert (one form of energy) to another form
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(tr) maths to change the form of (an equation, expression, etc) by a mathematical transformation
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(tr) to increase or decrease (an alternating current or voltage) using a transformer
noun
Synonym Usage
Transform , convert mean to change one thing into another. Transform suggests changing from one form, appearance, structure, or type to another: to transform soybeans into oil and meal by pressure. Convert suggests so changing the characteristics as to change the use or purpose: to convert a barn into a house.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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retransformverb (used with object)
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intertransformableadjective
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nontransformingadjective
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self-transformedadjective
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transformableadjective
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transformativeadjective
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untransformableadjective
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untransformedadjective
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untransformingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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transformsimple
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transformssimple
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have transformedperfect
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has transformedperfect
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am transformingprogressive
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are transformingprogressive
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is transformingprogressive
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have been transformingperfect progressive
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has been transformingperfect progressive
Past
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transformedsimple
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had transformedperfect
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was transformingprogressive
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were transformingprogressive
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had been transformingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of transform
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English transformen, from Latin trānsfōrmāre “to change in shape”; see trans-, form
Explanation
When you transform you change from one thing or state to another. Picture a transformer that changes from a robot to a car. Simple, right? Caterpillars transform into butterflies, a forest is transformed by a snowfall, and a city can be transformed by a new government or a changing economy. Transform means a big change in appearance or in essence. The Internet has transformed how we live our day-to-day lives, but you wouldn't say that moving a throw pillow has transformed your living room.
Vocabulary lists containing transform
Shape Up: Form
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Starting Your New Life: Inspiring Words from Commencement Speeches
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Brown Girl Dreaming
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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.
See Examples For:
Sheets, backpacks, and outstretched bodies transform the emblematic seafront promenade into an open-air dormitory for a few hours.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The results of that investigation could transform the death penalty debate by offering more evidence about our ugly recent history of executing the innocent.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026
Building a strong culture requires a willingness to transform continually.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
That surgery didn’t transform my life, but I am convinced it gave me extra years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
It had always seemed to Hazel like the most wonderful power—to be able to transform yourself into something else entirely.
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
The most egregious case is Sturgis’ Ru, who transforms over the course of the play from a jittery wreck into a vengeful, plaintive monster.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The cat may be evolution’s artwork, but it is the dog that holds sway in prints and paintings, and in many cases transforms them into masterpieces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
It is a calculus playing out across the tech industry as a new generation of AI-powered coding assistants transforms how software gets built.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
"To be a British player out on Centre Court and have that type of victory transforms his ranking going forward."
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
The bright sun transforms the otherwise green lush scenery into a magical land of silvery lakes.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
"Instead, their lives will be knitted into the narrative that everything they did transformed China into what it is now, rather than dwell on any other 'What If's'."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
He transformed the interior and altered the exterior windows, making it difficult for the characters to see the dangers circling outside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
In the years since, the couple have transformed the property into the perfect sanctuary for their family, filling it with unique touches and one-of-a-kind art pieces.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Since then, Hengli has transformed the shipyard into China’s second-largest, according to Clarksons Research.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Ariana showed me how to fold the sides up and tuck them into flaps, so the cardboard transformed into a small box that could fit two cupcakes.
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
"These structures can be systematically doped with silver and other ions and engineered to interface seamlessly with perovskites -- transforming DNA from a biological macromolecule into a programmable, multifunctional nanomaterials platform."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
Take a tour of the projects transforming the skyline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
“As that base grows, each new build becomes a smaller part of the whole, while contracted revenue from existing deployments remains in place. This is how we are transforming scale into operating leverage.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The AI boom is transforming the American economy beyond recognition.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
If the seawater healed Peeta and me, it seems to be transforming Finnick altogether.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
