verbiegen
Translation
to bend, to distort, to warp
Examples
Der starke Wind verbiegt den Ast.
The strong wind is bending the branch.
Er verbiegt die Wahrheit.
He is distorting the truth.
Man sollte sich nicht für andere verbiegen.
One shouldn't change oneself for others.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to bend, distort sth. The spoon is bent.
((sich)) to compromise oneself, to not be true to oneself He doesn't want to change who he is for the job.
Similar Words
Synonyms: krümmen (to curve), verformen (to deform); Antonym: gerade machen (to straighten)
Etymology
From the prefix 'ver-' (indicating change or a mistake) + 'biegen' (to bend). It implies bending something the wrong way or changing its shape.
Memory Tips
Think of 'ver-' as indicating something going wrong. So, 'verbiegen' is bending something out of its proper shape, distorting it.