distorted

Everyday

1. Twisted or changed out of its normal shape. tree →
2. (sound, picture) Changed so that it is unclear or not true to the original, like a crackly sound or a wobbly reflection. tree →
3. Changed so that it gives a false idea, like distorted facts. tree →

In the lessons

In science, lenses, water and curved mirrors make distorted images; in music, distorted guitar sound is deliberate; in media literacy, facts can be distorted to mislead; phrases: «a distorted reflection», «distorted facts», «distorted sound».

Examples

• The fun-house mirror made my face look distorted. tree →
• The speaker crackled and the music was distorted. tree →
• A straw in water looks bent and distorted. tree →
• The newspaper distorted what the mayor had said. tree →
• Heat made the plastic ruler distorted. tree →
• Her voice sounded distorted on the bad phone line. tree →
• A distorted map can make some countries look bigger than they are. tree →
• Their countenances were so distorted that no one could recognize them, and even one freckle on the face appeared to spread over the whole of the nose and mouth. tree →

Note

Regular verb. Noun: distortion. In maths and maps: map projections distort size or shape (Greenland looks far bigger than it is). In news: a distorted story is partly true but twisted.

In Jewish tradition

It means twisted or bent from what is right. It refers to a mind or a story that is warped.

Interpretation. Proverbs says a twisted mind is despised. In the Psalm, the proud twist the truth and the psalmist turns to God's precepts for guidance.

Examples

• A man shall be commended according to his intelligence; but he that is of a distorted understanding shall be despised. (Writings PRO.12.8, JPS 1917) tree →
• Let the proud be put to shame, for they have distorted my cause with falsehood; but I will meditate in Thy precepts. (Writings PSA.119.78, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Regular verb. Noun: distortion. In maths and maps: map projections distort size or shape (Greenland looks far bigger than it is). In news: a distorted story is partly true but twisted.