Meaning & use
morphed
Last updated
“morphed” is a form of “morph”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitiveinformal
Past tense and past participle of morph: changed gradually or smoothly from one form or state into another.
Grammar: Usually followed by into: it morphed into something new.
Patterns
- morph into something
- morph from something into something
The small club morphed into a national organization.
Her shyness morphed into confidence over the year.
The friendly debate morphed into an argument.
verbtransitivecomputing
Past tense and past participle of morph: changed one image into another using computer animation.
Grammar: Takes an object: they morphed one face into another.
Patterns
- morph something into something
The editor morphed one face into another in the video.
The artist morphed a cat into a tiger on screen.
Word forms
| present tense | morph |
|---|---|
| third person singular | morphs |
| -ing form | morphing |
Common combinations
- morphed into
- The idea morphed into a business.
- gradually morphed
- The song gradually morphed into a ballad.
- quickly morphed
- The rumor quickly morphed into a news story.
- morphed from
- The festival morphed from a market into a concert.
Synonyms and how they differ
- transformed
- Transformed is more neutral and can describe a total change, while morphed stresses a gradual flow between forms.
- evolved
- Evolved suggests slow development over a long time, while morphed can be quick.
- turned
- Turned is plainer and does not suggest a smooth transition.
Opposites
Word family
- morph verb
- to change form smoothly
- morphing noun
- the process of changing form
- metamorphosis noun
- a complete change of form
Commonly confused: morphed or mourned?
morphed vs mourned
Mourned means felt grief for someone who died, and is pronounced similarly but means something else.
Practice
Choose the best word: The small shop ___ into a chain of stores.
Choose one answer.
The past tense is needed for a completed change, so morphed fits. The others are the wrong tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “morphed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.