Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Contrary to what is right or good; wicked or depraved.
- adjective Characterized by or resulting from willful opposition or resistance to what is right, expected, or reasonable.
- adjective Willfully opposing or resisting what is right, expected, or reasonable.
- adjective Having an effect opposite to what is intended or expected.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Turned away or deviating from what is right, proper, correct, etc.; perverted.
- Obstinate in the wrong; disposed to be contrary; stubborn; untractable; self-willed.
- Cross; petulant; peevish; disposed to cross and vex.
- Untoward: as, ‘event perverse!”
- noun A geometrical form related to another (of which it is said t. be the perverse) as the form of the image of an object in a plane mirror is to that of the object itself.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away from the right; willfully erring; wicked; perverted.
- adjective Obstinate in the wrong; stubborn; intractable; hence, wayward; vexing; contrary.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away from the (morally) right; willfully erring;
wicked ;perverted . - adjective Obstinately in the wrong;
stubborn ;intractable ; hence,wayward ;vexing ;contrary . - adjective law, of a verdict
Ignoring theevidence or thejudge 'sopinions .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict
- adjective resistant to guidance or discipline
- adjective deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or good
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word perverse.
Examples
-
I have what I call perverse desire, which I think is key to being an artist of any kind.
FEATURED POET: REBECCA LOUDON EILEEN 2009
-
For Mr. Kratsev, this idea - the trade-off between exit and voice - is the key to understanding what he describes as the "perverse" stability of Vladimir V.
NYT > Home Page By CHRYSTIA FREELAND | REUTERS 2011
-
For Mr. Krastev, this idea - the trade-off between exit and voice - is the key to understanding what he describes as the "perverse" stability of Vladimir Putin's Russia.
The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed CHRYSTIA FREELAND 2011
-
The word perverse doesn’t begin to do the event justice.
HOW EVIL WORKS DAVID KUPELIAN 2010
-
The word perverse doesn’t begin to do the event justice.
HOW EVIL WORKS DAVID KUPELIAN 2010
-
And just because you find certain sex acts perverse is not a reason to deny equality before the law to same-sex couples.
-
Lefty Liberal, I must confess to a certain perverse desire to see these obese old fools try to get it up, given all the machismo bluster and weapon brandishing.
-
And that is part of why it would actually be perverse from a public policy perspective to forbid the banks in better shape right now from offering bonuses.
-
And just how schizophrenic and perverse is our culture?
ProWomanProLife » Your beautifully inspiring story of the day 2009
-
As you all proclaim Teddy an icon, just remember, it was Teddy, who thru his own fault, left a woman to die so that he could save his political career, disgusting and perverse is how i will remember him. what a country.
Kristianto2010 commented on the word perverse
A scoundrel (bajingan) plots evil, and on their lips it is like a scorching fire. A PERVERSE (jahat) person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. Proverbs 16:27-28.
March 21, 2011
steve123456 commented on the word perverse
hi
April 14, 2022