contort

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /kənˈtɔrt/ UK /kənˈtɔːt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to twist or bend, or make something twist or bend, into an unnatural shape

He contorted his body to fit through the narrow opening.
2

verb
figurative: to twist an idea, principle, or account so that it becomes misleading or inconsistent

The report contorted the evidence to make the failed experiment look successful.
3

verb
intransitive, of the face or body: to become twisted, strained, or pulled out of its natural shape, typically as an involuntary reaction to pain or a strong emotion

His face contorted with pain as the doctor probed the wound.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to twist or bend, or make... twist distort

2 verb · figurative: to twist an... distort misrepresent

3 verb · intransitive, of the face... twist writhe

More deform warp gnarl wrench

Opposites

straighten unbend

Word family

Forms contortionist

Derived forms contortioncontortedcontortionist

Related forms torturetorsiontortuous retort

Simplified etymology

Contort entered English in the late Middle Ages. It comes from Latin torquere, “to twist,” and originally meant “twist together.”

Etymology

From Latin contortus, past participle of contorquere ('to twist together, whirl'), from con- ('together') + torquere ('to twist').

contorquere Latin torquere Latin *terkw- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# contort

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /kənˈtɔrt/
**IPA (UK):** /kənˈtɔːt/

## Meanings
1. to twist or bend, or make something twist or bend, into an unnatural shape
2. figurative: to twist an idea, principle, or account so that it becomes misleading or inconsistent
3. intransitive, of the face or body: to become twisted, strained, or pulled out of its natural shape, typically as an involuntary reaction to pain or a strong emotion

## Examples
- He contorted his body to fit through the narrow opening.
- The report contorted the evidence to make the failed experiment look successful.
- His face contorted with pain as the doctor probed the wound.

## Synonyms
- twist
- distort
- deform
- warp
- writhe
- gnarl
- wrench

## Antonyms
- straighten
- unbend

## Derived Forms
- contortion
- contorted
- contortionist

## Related Forms
- torture
- torsion
- tortuous
- retort

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: contorquere
- Root: torquere
- Root: *terkw-

## Etymology
From Latin contortus, past participle of contorquere ('to twist together, whirl'), from con- ('together') + torquere ('to twist').

## AI Etymology
Contort is from Latin contortus, past participle of contorquere ('to twist together, whirl'), from con- ('together') + torquere ('to twist'). The ancestry passes through Latin contorquere, Latin torquere, and Proto-Indo-European *terkw-. The prefix con- adds togetherness, combination, or intensification where the Latin formation gives it that value, helping to explain the word's surface structure. In present use as a verb, it means "to twist or bend out of normal shape, often violently", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include torture, torsion, tortuous, and retort; derived forms include contortion, contorted, and contortionist.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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