What does "deform" mean?
To change the form of (something), usually thus making it disordered or irregular; to give (something) an abnormal or unusual shape.
Deform
/dɪˈfɔːm/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To change the form of (something), usually thus making it disordered or irregular; to give (something) an abnormal or unusual shape.
- Grammar: deform is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: bend, contort, distort, accommodate.
- Useful contrasts: sculptured, shapely form, systemized workflow.
- Usage evidence: Anatomical breast implants, however, can also deform the shape of the breast if they rotate sideways.
How to use "deform"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "deform" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "deform" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "deform" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "deform" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "deform" is acting as adj, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bend" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "deform", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To change the form of (something), usually thus making it disordered or irregular; to give (something) an abnormal or unusual shape. transitive
"I that am curtaild of this faire proportion / Cheated of feature by diſſembling nature, / Deformd, vnfinisht, ſent before my time / Into this breathing vvorld ſcarce halfe made vp, / And that ſo lamely and vnfaſhionable, / That dogs barke at me as I halt by them: […]"
- 2 assume a different shape or form wordnet
- 3 To change the form of (something), usually thus making it disordered or irregular; to give (something) an abnormal or unusual shape.; To alter the shape of (something) by applying a force or stress. transitive
- 4 alter the shape of (something) by stress wordnet
- 5 To change the look of (something), usually thus making it imperfect or unattractive; to give (something) an abnormal or unusual appearance. also, figuratively, transitive
"a face deformed by bitterness"
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 become misshapen wordnet
- 7 To mar the character or quality of (something). transitive
"a marriage deformed by jealousy"
- 8 cause (an object) to assume a crooked or angular form wordnet
- 9 To become changed in shape or misshapen. intransitive
"If I answer that metal’s hard and shiny and cold to the touch and deforms without breaking under blows from a harder material, [David] Hume says those are all sights and sounds and touch. There’s no substance. Tell me what metal is apart from these sensations. Then, of course, I’m stuck."
- 10 twist and press out of shape wordnet
- 11 make formless wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Having an unusual and unattractive shape; deformed, misshapen; hence, hideous, ugly.
"[…] I did proclame, / That vvho ſo kild that monſter moſt deforme, / And him in hardy battayle ouercame, / Should haue mine onely daughter to his Dame, and of my kingdome heyre apparaunt bee: […]"
Antonyms
Example
"Anatomical breast implants, however, can also deform the shape of the breast if they rotate sideways."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "deform"?
Common synonyms include: bend, contort, distort, accommodate, adapt, adjust.
How do you use "deform" in a sentence?
Anatomical breast implants, however, can also deform the shape of the breast if they rotate sideways.
How do you pronounce "deform"?
Pronounced /dɪˈfɔːm/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
PIE word *de From Middle English deforme (“out of shape, deformed”) [and other forms], from Middle French deforme (modern French difforme (“misshapen, deformed”)), or directly from its etymon Latin dēfōrmis (“departing physically from the correct shape, deformed, malformed, misshapen, ugly; (figuratively) departing morally from the correct quality, base, disgraceful, shameful, unbecoming”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘away from; from’) + fōrma (“form, appearance, figure, shape; fine form, beauty; design, outline, plan; model, pattern; mould, stamp; (figuratively) kind, manner, sort”) (further etymology unknown; perhaps related to Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ, “form, shape; appearance; outline; kind, type”), probably from Pre-Greek, but there is no consensus) + -is (suffix forming adjectives of the third declension).
Etymology 2
From Middle English deformen (“to disfigure, distort, or mar; (figuratively) to disfigure morally; to defame; to dishonour”) [and other forms], equivalent to de- + form, from Old French deformer [and other forms] (modern French déformer (“to contort, distort, twist out of shape; (figuratively) to pervert”)), or directly from its etymon Latin dēfōrmāre (whence Medieval Latin difformāre), the present active infinitive of dēfōrmō (“to fashion, form; to delineate, describe; to design; to deform, disfigure; to mar, spoil”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘away from; from’) + fōrmō (“to fashion, form, shape; to format”) (from fōrma (noun); see further at etymology 1). Cognates * Catalan deformar (“to deform”) * Italian deformare (“to deform; to distort, warp”) * Occitan deformar * Portuguese deformar (“to deform”) * Spanish deformar, desformar (“to deform, disfigure”)