Deformed

/dɪˈfɔːrmd/

adjectiveIntermediateCommonGeneral

Definitions

1

Having an altered or distorted shape or structure; misshapen.

/dɪˈfɔːrmd/

adjectivenegativeIntermediate
General

Having an altered or distorted shape or structure.

The earthquake left the buildings in a deformed state.

💡 Simply: Imagine a toy that's been squished or bent in a way it's not supposed to be. That's deformed! Like a funny-looking balloon animal.

👶 For kids: When something is shaped wrong or is not its regular shape.

More Examples

2

He was born with a deformed hand, but he still learned to play the piano.

3

The intense heat caused the plastic to become deformed.

How It's Used

Medical

"The accident left him with a deformed leg."

Art and Literature

"The artist deliberately created a deformed sculpture to evoke emotion."

From Middle English *deformed*, from Old French *desformer* ('to disfigure'), from *des-* (dis-) + *former* ('to shape').

Historically used in medical and artistic contexts to describe alterations in form, as well as in moral or societal terms to denote a corruption of character.

Memory tip

Think of a poorly formed clay pot that wasn't fired correctly.

deformddefformed

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written