distortion

Language: en

🇺🇸 /dɪˈstɔrʃən/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    The action of giving a misleading account or impression; a misrepresentation of the truth or facts.; The action of changing the shape or form of something so that it is no longer natural or normal; deformation.; An unwanted alteration in the waveform of a signal, especially in audio or electronic systems, resulting in a change in sound quality.; A deliberate effect used in music, particularly electric guitar, where the signal is intentionally altered to produce a harsh, fuzzy, or overdriven tone.; In optics, a defect in a lens or optical system that causes straight lines to appear curved in the image.; In economics, a deviation from the conditions of a perfectly competitive market, such as taxes, subsidies, or monopolies, that leads to inefficient allocation of resources.; In psychology or perception, a biased or inaccurate interpretation of reality, often resulting from cognitive biases or emotional states.; In medicine, a physical abnormality or malformation of a body part.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: distortions

Collocations

cognitive distortionharmonic distortiondistortion of the truthdistortion of factslens distortionsignal distortion

Derivatives

distortdistorteddistortivedistortionistundistorted

Synonyms

warpingmisrepresentationdeformationtwistingalterationperversion

Antonyms

accuracyfidelityfaithfulness

Commonly confused

distraction
EN: 'Distortion' refers to a twisting or misrepresentation of something; 'distraction' refers to something that diverts attention.
deformation
EN: 'Deformation' emphasizes a physical change in shape or structure; 'distortion' can apply to both physical and abstract (e.g., truth, signal) contexts.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember the double 't' in 'distortion' (from 'distort'). Do not write 'distorsion', which is not standard English.

💬 Examples

  1. The article was a gross distortion of what actually happened at the meeting.

  2. The heat caused a distortion of the metal surface.

  3. The amplifier introduced noticeable distortion at high volume levels.

  4. The guitarist cranked up the distortion pedal for a heavier sound.

  5. Wide-angle lenses often produce barrel distortion at the edges of the frame.

  6. Government subsidies can create market distortions that disadvantage foreign competitors.

  7. Cognitive distortion can lead people to see situations as far worse than they actually are.

  8. The X-ray revealed a distortion of the spinal column.