SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
distortion
noun
A change that misrepresents or alters the true shape, meaning, or proportion of something.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Misrepresentation of meaning
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topExaggeration is one kind of distortion; misleading omission can also distort meaning.
Alteration of form
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topBending may be intended or harmless; distortion emphasizes departure from the expected or true form.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See distortion in use
Removing the final sentence created a distortion of the speaker's original argument.
One display paired a photograph with a caricature that enlarged the subject's spectacles and narrowed his already long face. The caption avoided the cliche that every serious artist must be a lonely genius, since that familiar idea explained little about this particular person. Another draft created a distortion by cropping out the collaborators and implying that he had worked alone.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license