Definition
Changes that twist, bend, or alter the original shape, sound, or meaning of something; also false or exaggerated versions of the truth.
Etymology
From Latin 'distortus' (dis- meaning apart + tortus meaning twisted). The word emerged in the 1500s for physical bending, then expanded to include mental and perceptual twisting like lies and misrepresentations.
Kelly Says
Guitar distortion literally twists the electrical signal into a funky shape, and that's why the word works perfectly for lies—they're truth twisted out of shape—making the physics of sound waves a metaphor for how misinformation damages facts.
Translations
ARالعربية
تشوهات
tish-ta-ha-at
CACatalà
distorsions
dis-tor-syons
CSČeština
zkreslení
zkres-leni
DADansk
forvrængninger
for-vryng-ni-ger
DEDeutsch
Verzerrungen
fer-tser-rungs-en
ELΕλληνικά
παραμορφώσεις
pa-ra-mor-fo-se-es
ESEspañol
distorsiones
dis-tor-see-ohn-es
FISuomi
vääristymät
vää-ri-sty-mä-t
FRFrançais
distorsions
dis-tor-syohn
HIहिन्दी
विकृतियाँ
vi-kri-ti-yaan
HUMagyar
torzítások
tor-zi-ta-sák
IDBahasa Indonesia
distorsi
dis-tor-si
IGIG
gịnị dị ka ọ bụla
gin-i di ka o bu-la
ITItaliano
distorsioni
dis-tor-see-ohn-i
KKKK
исказывания
is-ka-zy-va-niya
KMKM
ការផ្លាស់ប្តូរ
ka-ar ph-laas-b-tro
MSBahasa Melayu
cacat
ka-cat
MYမြန်မာ
ပြောင်းပြောင်း
pyaung pyaung
NLNederlands
vervormingen
ver-vorm-in-gen
NONorsk
forvrengninger
for-vreng-ni-ger
PLPolski
zniekształcenia
z-ni-e-skla-che-ne-nia
PTPortuguês
distorções
dis-tor-sões
RORomână
distorsiuni
dis-tor-see-oo-nee
RUРусский
искажения
is-ka-zheniya
SVSvenska
distorsioner
dis-tor-see-oner
SWKiswahili
ukiukiu
oo-kee-oo
TAதமிழ்
மாற்றம்
ma-rat-tam
TEతెలుగు
వికృతి
vi-kri-ti
THไทย
การบิดเบือน
kan bit ben
TLTL
pagkakatwista
pa-gka-kat-wis-ta
TRTürkçe
bozulmalar
bo-zu-l-ma-lar
UKУкраїнська
спотворення
spo-tvor-en-nya
VITiếng Việt
méo mó
me-o mo