distortion

B2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /dɪˈstɔrʃən/ UK /dɪsˈtɔːʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #18436

Meanings

1

noun
A change that makes something untrue or inaccurate; a misrepresentation.

The article was a complete distortion of what he had actually said.
2

noun
A change in shape or appearance that makes something look twisted or wrong.

The cheap lens caused noticeable distortion at the edges of the photo.
3

noun
Unwanted change or noise in reproduced sound or a signal.

This recording sounds awful because of all the distortion.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a change in shape or... deformation

More disfigurement

Word family

Forms distortions

Derived forms antiferrodistortioncounterdistortiondistortionaldistortionarydistortionistdistortionlessferrodistortionmicrodistortionnondistortionpredistortionundistortion

Related forms distort

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

amplitude distortion
a change in a signal caused when output strength does not vary proportionally with input strength

Noun + noun

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin distortio, distortionis, from distortus.

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# distortion

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈstɔrʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪsˈtɔːʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 18436

## Meanings
1. A change that makes something untrue or inaccurate; a misrepresentation.
2. A change in shape or appearance that makes something look twisted or wrong.
3. Unwanted change or noise in reproduced sound or a signal.

## Examples
- The article was a complete distortion of what he had actually said.
- The cheap lens caused noticeable distortion at the edges of the photo.
- This recording sounds awful because of all the distortion.

## Synonyms
- deformation
- disfigurement

## Derived Forms
- antiferrodistortion
- counterdistortion
- distortional
- distortionary
- distortionist
- distortionless
- ferrodistortion
- microdistortion
- nondistortion
- predistortion
- undistortion

## Related Forms
- distort

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin distortio, distortionis, from distortus.

## AI Etymology
Distortion is borrowed from Latin distortio, distortionis, from distortus. In current use, the main senses are “A change that makes something untrue or inaccurate; a misrepresentation” and “A change in shape or appearance that makes something look twisted or wrong”.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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