Definition of DEFORM

deform

Verb

Verb Forms: deformed, deforming, deforms

  • To spoil or distort the natural shape or form of something.
  • make formless
    • "the heat deformed the plastic sculpture"
  • twist and press out of shape
  • cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form
  • become misshapen
    • "The sidewalk deformed during the earthquake"
  • alter the shape of (something) by stress
    • "His body was deformed by leprosy"
  • assume a different shape or form
  • To change the form of (something), usually thus making it disordered or irregular; to give (something) an abnormal or unusual shape.
  • 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.
  • To change the look of (something), usually thus making it imperfect or unattractive; to give (something) an abnormal or unusual appearance.
  • To mar the character or quality of (something).
  • To become changed in shape or misshapen.

Adj

  • Having an unusual and unattractive shape; deformed, misshapen; hence, hideous, ugly.

Examples

  • a face deformed by bitterness
  • a marriage deformed by jealousy
  • Placing an ’S’ in the wrong spot can sometimes deform a potentially high-scoring word.

Origin / Etymology

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).

Synonyms

bend, change form, change shape, contort, distort, flex, strain, turn, twist, wring, bad, beat, butt-ugly, butters, clapped, coyote ugly, deface, deform, deformed, disfigure, disfigured, distorted, fuckfaced, fugly, hideous, homely, like the back end of a bus, malformed, mar, misproportioned, misshapen, plug-ugly, repulsive, shapeless, ugly, ugly as sin, unattractive, uncomely, unfashionable, unpretty, unsightly

Scrabble Score: 12

deform: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
deform: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
deform: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

deform: valid Words With Friends Word