'vision-distorting' is a compound of 'vision' and 'distorting'. 'vision' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'visionem' (from the verb 'vidēre'), where the root meant 'to see'; 'distorting' comes from Latin 'distortus', the past participle of 'distorquere', where 'dis-' meant 'apart' and 'torquere' meant 'to twist'.

'vision' entered English via Late Latin 'visionem' and Old French 'vision'; 'distort' came from Latin 'distorquere' through Old French/Medieval Latin and Middle English forms to modern 'distort'. The modern compound 'vision-distorting' is a descriptive formation using the noun + present-participle pattern common in Modern English.

Initially, roots conveyed 'seeing' and 'twisting' separately; over time 'distort' came to mean 'to twist out of true shape' and combined with 'vision' to produce the modern adjective meaning 'causing visual distortion'.