transform

American  

[trans-fawrm, trans-fawrm] / trænsˈfɔrm, ˈtræns fɔrm /

verb (used with object)

• transforms,
  present (3rd person singular)
• transformed,
  past participle,  past
• transforming
  present participle

1. to change in form, appearance, or structure; metamorphose.

   Synonyms:

   transfigure

2. to change in condition, nature, or character; convert.

3. to change into another substance; transmute.

4. Electricity.

   1. to increase or decrease (the voltage and current characteristics of an alternating-current circuit), as by means of a transformer.

   2. to decrease (the voltage and current characteristics of a direct-current circuit), as by means of a transformer.

5. Mathematics. to change the form of (a figure, expression, etc.) without in general changing the value.

6. Physics. to change into another form of energy.

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verb (used without object)

• transforms,
  present (3rd person singular)
• transformed,
  past participle,  past
• transforming
  present participle

1. to undergo a change in form, appearance, or character; become transformed.

noun

1. Mathematics.

   1. a mathematical quantity obtained from a given quantity by an algebraic, geometric, or functional transformation.

   2. the transformation itself.

2. the result of a transformation.

3. a transformation.

4. Logic. transformation.

5. Linguistics. a structure derived by a transformation.

transform British  

verb

1. to alter or be altered radically in form, function, etc

2. (tr) to convert (one form of energy) to another form

3. (tr) maths to change the form of (an equation, expression, etc) by a mathematical transformation

4. (tr) to increase or decrease (an alternating current or voltage) using a transformer

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noun

1. maths the result of a mathematical transformation, esp (of a matrix or an element of a group) another related to the given one by B = X ^–1 AX for some appropriate X

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

• retransform
  verb (used with object)
• intertransformable
  adjective
• nontransforming
  adjective
• self-transformed
  adjective
• transformable
  adjective
• transformative
  adjective
• untransformable
  adjective
• untransformed
  adjective
• untransforming
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• transforming
  present
• transformed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• transform
  simple
• transforms
  simple
• have transformed
  perfect
• has transformed
  perfect
• am transforming
  progressive
• are transforming
  progressive
• is transforming
  progressive
• have been transforming
  perfect progressive
• has been transforming
  perfect progressive

Past

• transformed
  simple
• had transformed
  perfect
• was transforming
  progressive
• were transforming
  progressive
• had been transforming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will transform
  simple
• will have transformed
  perfect
• will be transforming
  progressive
• will have been transforming
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

transform transforms transformed transforming

An agreement announced Friday evening would transform the U.S. government from a broker of American oil investments in Venezuela to an investor itself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Some began griping to local media and the authorities sprang into action—with a hallmark efficiency that has helped Singapore transform from a struggling postcolonial trading post to a modern financial hub.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

At first, the researchers experimented with ways to chemically transform PVC molecules into different materials.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026

Local volunteers have since helped transform the track into a 20+ mile long path for walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users and mobility scooters, with some sections also open to equestrians.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

When she set foot on the island, either she would transform into a cloud of dandelion fluff and drift away, or she wouldn’t.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

Cullen often spoke about how his voice for the leader — who transforms into a truck — was inspired by his older brother, Larry, a Marine who had served in Vietnam.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Each fall, ArtPrize — one of the world’s largest international art competitions — transforms the entire downtown into an open-air gallery.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Their approach transforms natural killer cells, a type of immune cell known for rapidly attacking abnormal cells, into a specialized tissue resident form that can move into solid tumors and destroy cancer cells.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

They have come against a backdrop of concerns over job security as artificial intelligence transforms South Korea's automotive industry, a pillar of the Asian nation's economy.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

We never had much, but whatever we did have was made with love, which I now know transforms simple fare into a feast.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

The “Transamerica” DVD even featured a lenticular cover that transformed Huffman from a standard blonde press shot into a still from the film featuring Bree’s brunette hair and wispy bangs.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

For millennia, people have transformed landscapes, forcing wildlife to adjust to cities, farms, roads, and other human activity.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

Antoci and his wife, Josephine, bought the company in 2011 and transformed it into a trendy celebrity hot spot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

An abandoned railway line which volunteers transformed into a much-loved walking and cycling route has been named Britain's favourite path.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

His hand didn’t burn off, his whole body didn’t turn to dust, and he wasn’t transformed into a frog.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Over the years, a slew of A-listers have taken their property portfolios to another level by purchasing entire islands, transforming secluded stretches of land into the ultimate celebrity retreats.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

The good news is that transforming a rental doesn't have to mean a major renovation.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Green doesn’t go too far transforming him into a sympathetic hero.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Until this year, Anthropic was in clear second place to OpenAI, which burst onto the scene with ChatGPT in November 2022, transforming the tech industry and triggering an AI arms race.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

It seemed we were transforming our sufferings as we talked about ways to solve their causes and let them be known to the world.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah

Related Words

• alter
• convert
• mold
• mutate
• reconstruct
• remodel
• revamp
• revolutionize
• transfer
• translate