distended
adjective
dis·tend·ed
di-ˈsten-dəd 
: enlarged, expanded, or stretched out (as from internal pressure)
The abdomen was mildly distended with moderate tenderness …—
Timothy Melester et al.
Timothy Melester et al.Pre-Columbian jewelry worn in a large hole made in a greatly distended earlobe.—H. Newman
H. NewmanAnd she began to preen herself and to rearrange her feathers, while Daggie lay down again on his distended stomach and gazed out the doorway.—Dick King-Smith
Dick King-Smith
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When Should You Use distended?
Before giving you a shot, the nurse may wrap a rubber tube around your upper arm to distend the veins. When the heart isn't pumping properly, the skin of the feet and ankles may become distended. A doctor who notices that an internal organ has become distended will always want to find out the cause. As you can see, distended tends to be a medical term.
Synonyms
Examples of distended in a Sentence
bees with abdomens distended with honey are less apt to sting
Recent Examples on the Web
Bloating causes your belly to feel full and look distended.
—Kathleen Felton, Health, 9 June 2024
But for all its brawn and atmosphere and robustly choreographed combat, this is a distended historical tapestry too sprawling to remain compelling, particularly when its focus veers away from the central couple.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Chemtrails draws you into a different speed, a distended sense of time and sound.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2021
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Kathleen Felton, Health, 9 June 2024
But for all its brawn and atmosphere and robustly choreographed combat, this is a distended historical tapestry too sprawling to remain compelling, particularly when its focus veers away from the central couple.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Chemtrails draws you into a different speed, a distended sense of time and sound.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2021
Dictionary Entries Near distended
Cite this Entry
“Distended.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distended. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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