distortion

A change for the worse.

The act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean.

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 mistake of misrepresenting the facts.