distortion

Plural: distortions

Noun

• a change for the worse
• a shape resulting from distortion
• an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image
• a change (usually undesired) in the waveform of an acoustic or analog electrical signal; the difference between two measurements of a signal (as between the input and output signal)
  • "heavy metal guitar players use vacuum tube amplifiers to produce extreme distortion"
• the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean
• the mistake of misrepresenting the facts
• An act of distorting.
• A result of distorting.
• A misrepresentation of the truth.
• Noise or other artifacts caused in the electronic reproduction of sound or music.
• An effect used in music, most commonly on guitars in rock or metal.
• An aberration that causes magnification to change over the field of view.

Examples

• The story he told was a bit of a distortion.
• This recording sounds awful due to the distortion.

Synonyms

aberration, deformation, distorted shape, optical aberration, overrefinement, straining, torture, twisting, disfigurement

Related Words

distort