What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
contort
Example
The gymnast contorted her body into a difficult pose. [contorted: past tense]
Example
He winced as pain contorted his face. [contorted: verb]
Example
The news article contorted the facts to fit their biased agenda. [contorted: adjective]
distort
Example
The mirror distorted her reflection, making her look shorter and wider. [distorted: past tense]
Example
The politician distorted the truth to gain more votes. [distorted: verb]
Example
The heat caused the plastic to distort and warp. [distort: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Distort is more commonly used than contort in everyday language. Distort is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while contort is less common and refers to more specific situations.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between contort and distort?
Both contort and distort can be used in formal or informal contexts, but distort is more versatile and can be employed in various formality levels.
