misshapen

adjective

mis·​shap·​en ˌmis-ˈshā-pən 

1

: having an ugly or deformed shape

It is, in fact, a homely and misshapen little gray airplane that looks like it was cobbled together in someone's garage.

—Patricia Trenner

2

: morally or intellectually deformed or distorted

misshapen ideas of justice

misshapenly adverb

She has brought Trot, her mangy mongrel, with her. He lies misshapenly across her vast lap …

—John le Carré

misshapenness noun

… masterpieces of dullness, misshapenness, and folly …

—Louis Simpson

Synonyms

• deformed
• distorted
• malformed
• monstrous
• shapeless

Examples of misshapen in a Sentence

the returning camper proudly presented his mother with a misshapen clay bowl that he had made in crafts class

Recent Examples on the Web

Washing bras too often can affect the elastic and wires, leading to a misshapen bra. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025

When people began filming their reactions, many complained about the stale taste and misshapen appearance of the cookies. —Simone Melvin, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025

Post All-Star break: The Suns keep changing coaches, but the reality is that this continues to be a misshapen roster that puts little pressure on offenses before or after shots. —Law Murray, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025

Sickle cell is a blood disorder in which a person’s red blood cells become misshapen into crescent moons. —Bertha Coombs, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misshapen

• shapen

Kids Definition

misshapen

adjective

mis·​shap·​en

(ˈ)mis-ˈshā-pən,

(ˈ)mish-

: badly shaped : having an ugly shape