deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.
a face deformed by hatred
distort and contort both imply a wrenching from the natural or normal, but contort suggests a more involved twisting and a more grotesque and painful result.
the odd camera angle distorts the figure
disease had contorted her body
warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.
warped floorboards
Example Sentences
The disease eventually deforms the bones. The disease eventually causes the bones to deform.
Recent Examples on the WebThese structures employed the same manufacturing technique as 3D printing but were designed to deform over time in response to changes in humidity and temperature. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 30 Aug. 2022 Metal blade bolts do have some ability to stretch and deform without breaking.The Oregonian - OregonLive.com, 27 Aug. 2022 When crashing a car, the brake pedal is prone to causing injuries to the lower extremities—especially when the firewall begins to deform. Matt Crisara, Popular Mechanics, 10 Aug. 2022 However, according to researchers the impact may deform Didymoon much more severely than previously thought. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 29 June 2022 The conflict is on full display in black holes, which deform space so severely that gravity’s more fundamental, quantum nature cannot be ignored.Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2022 According to Viswanathan, some rechargeable batteries have hard metal shells that resist the buildup of internal pressure and don’t visibly deform very much.Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2022 The XT Extreme’s air cells deform independently, allowing the four-inch-thick pad to mold around your body. Ryan Stuart, Outside Online, 10 May 2021 The thicker, stronger carcass of an LT tire, inflated to a higher pressure, will deform less over small bumps than a P/Euro-metric one, transmitting those movements to the suspension. Wes Siler, Outside Online, 6 Apr. 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French desfurmer, from Latin deformare, from de- + formare to form, from forma form