Distort

/dɪˈstɔːrt/

Meaning & Definition

verb

to twist out of shape; to misrepresent or alter the truth of something.

The funhouse mirror can distort your reflection, making you look much taller or shorter.

to affect the appearance of something in a negative way.

The constant noise from the construction site can distort my ability to concentrate on my work.

to alter the original meaning or form of something.

The article distorted the facts to create a more sensational story.

to change the way something is perceived.

The propaganda distorted people's opinions about the political situation.

to change or misrepresent figures or data.

If you distort the statistics, you will give a false impression of the survey results.

From Latin 'distortus', past participle of 'distorquere', meaning to twist apart.

distort the truth

To twist or change the facts in a misleading way.

distorted reality

A perception that is twisted away from the truth.

distort someone's words

To misinterpret or misquote what someone has said.

distortion

The action of distorting or the state of being distorted.

distorted

Describing something that has been twisted or misrepresented.

distortionary

Relating to or causing distortion.

To exaggerate.

He distorted the facts to make his story more dramatic.

To spin the story.

Don't distort the story, tell it like it is.