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Glite Dictionary
amorphous shape

amorphous shape

6.7
A thing that has no clear form, like a cloud or stain
  • noun
  • /əˈmɔr.fəs ʃeɪp/
translation icon : forma amorfa
  • The artist's latest painting features vibrant colors and fluid, amorphous shapes that seem to dance across the canvas.

Examples

  • He saw yellow and purple amorphous shapes.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The Glob had an amorphous shape and a bland color and texture.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Merely an amorphous shape at first, which slowly became more defined as the xandu galloped closer.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The humped, amorphous shapes of trees along the high ground were only a shade blacker.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • In the misty forest, he could only distinguish an amorphous shape lurking behind the trees.

  • As the fog rolled in, the amorphous shapes of the distant hills became indistinct shadows against the gray sky.

Synonyms

formlessness
vsamorphous shape
1 7.2

The state of having no clear shape or structure

is about a single thing that lacks clear structure or definition
amorphousness
vsamorphous shape
7.8

A quality of having no clear shape, form, or character

applies this quality specifically to one tangible object lacking definition
shapelessness
vsamorphous shape
6.1

A lack of any clear form, for example in ideas or art

shares the lack of clear outline but without judging appearance

How Amorphous

blob
43 3.5
amorphous shape
6.7

Surface Forms

amorphous shape singular
amorphous shapes plural

Morphology

amorphous + shape

The meaning is directly compositional: 'amorphous' means lacking a defined form and 'shape' means form or outline, so together they yield 'a shape lacking clear structure' without any idiomatic shift. This adjective + noun pattern is standard and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Amorphous shape comes from the simple image of a soft blob, like a cloud or a puddle, that has no clear edges and keeps changing. The word amorphous means 'without a clear form' and shape is the form, so this image explains why the phrase means 'a shape that lacks a clear structure or definition'.