Logo
dictionary thesaurus

contort

verb
con·​tort | \ kən-ˈtȯrt How to pronounce contort (audio) \
contorted; contorting; contorts

Definition of contort

transitive verb

: to twist in a violent manner features contorted with fury

intransitive verb

: to twist into or as if into a strained shape or expression His face contorted in a grimace of pain.
Other Words from contort Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about contort

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from contort

contortion \ kən-​ˈtȯr-​shən How to pronounce contortion (audio) \ noun
contortive \ kən-​ˈtȯr-​tiv How to pronounce contortive (audio) \ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for contort

deform, distort, contort, warp means to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting. deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth. a face deformed by hatred distort and contort both imply a wrenching from the natural or normal, but contort suggests a more involved twisting and a more grotesque and painful result. the odd camera angle distorts the figure disease had contorted her body warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane. warped floorboards

Did You Know?

Circus contortionists are known for twisting their bodies into pretzels; such contortions tend to be easier for females than for males, and much easier for the young than for the old. When trying to say something uncomfortable or dishonest, people often go through verbal contortions. But when someone else "twists" something you said or did, we usually say instead that they've distorted it.

Examples of contort in a Sentence

His body contorted with pain. The boy contorted his body to squeeze through the gate. Her face was contorted with rage.
See More

Recent Examples on the Web

 The time signatures and rhythms contort like snakes in a bag (though sticking to 7/4 for a lot of it provides a strange cohesion). — Christopher R. Weingarten, EW.com, "Tool's Fear Inoculum is a deeply satisfying return to form," 1 Sep. 2019 Gliding through the air, contorting, and then the ending can become ferocious. — Jacob Feldman, SI.com, "After His Final NBA Season, Vince Carter Is Ready to Transition to His Next Gig in Media," 27 Aug. 2019 The Kings’ brand of hip-hop combines breaking and contortion — not like breaking, and then contorting, but rather spinning on their heads with their double-jointed arms practically detached from their bodies behind their backs. — Lauren Warnecke, chicagotribune.com, "SummerDance Celebration was a perfect day in the park, plus a plea for Chicagoans to see more dance indoors this fall," 24 Aug. 2019 Fewer media organizations now are contorting language to avoid calling Trump's words racist. — John Blake, CNN, "Trump is doing what Obama couldn't," 23 Aug. 2019 In his modest home, an old wooden cottage among social housing blocks, his face is contorted. — Krista Stevens, Longreads, "Greenland’s Deepening Ecological Grief," 19 Aug. 2019 Damien Moore caught the ball, ran up the field and contorted his body with a 360-degree spin that left a defender grasping for air. — Los Angeles Times, "Cal-bound Damien Moore ready to be an instant difference-maker for Bishop Amat," 13 Aug. 2019 The painting captures DiCaprio in his silliest Jack Nicholson impression, teeth bared and eyebrows contorted like a parody of a good actor. — Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, "Quentin Tarantino’s #MeToo Moment?," 1 Aug. 2019 And even though the stripes in the middle had likely been contorted by a ridge segment that rotated over time, the maps clearly revealed a giant zebra crossing of magnetic stripes running across the massif. — Robin George Andrews, National Geographic, "This is now the world's largest volcano, geologists say," 15 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contort.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of contort

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

History and Etymology for contort

Middle English, from Latin contortus, past participle of contorquēre, from com- + torquēre to twist — more at torture entry 1

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for contort

contort

verb
How to pronounce contort (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of contort

: to twist into an unusual appearance or shape

See the full definition for contort in the English Language Learners Dictionary

contort

verb
con·​tort | \ kən-ˈtȯrt How to pronounce contort (audio) \
contorted; contorting

Kids Definition of contort

: to give an unusual appearance or unnatural shape to by twisting His face contorted with anger.

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

vexillology

play

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!