distorts

Distorts is the third-person singular present tense of the verb distort. It means to pull or twist something out of its natural shape, or to alter information, perception, or meaning so that it is not accurate or faithful. Distortion can be physical, such as a lens or instrument warping a shape, or conceptual, such as data, statements, or memories being misrepresented. Distorts can be intentional or unintentional, and often implies a deviation from a true or original form.

The word derives from Latin distortus, from dis- “apart” + torquere “to twist.” In English, it has related forms including distort, distorted, distorting, distortion, and distortive.

Contexts and usage vary across domains. In science and engineering, distortion describes changes to a signal or waveform that differ from the original, such as harmonic distortion in audio systems. In media, communication, and rhetoric, distorting information or misrepresenting facts means presenting them in a misleading way. In psychology, memory distortion refers to alterations in recollection. In everyday language, someone might say a statement distorts the truth or that a photograph distorts colors under certain lighting. Distorts as a verb thus encompasses both physical deformation and the broader act of skewing meaning, perception, or representation.