Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To cause to turn away from what is right, proper, or good; debase.
- transitive verb To corrupt (someone) morally. synonym: corrupt.
- transitive verb To interpret incorrectly; misconstrue or distort.
- noun One who practices sexual perversion.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun One who has turned aside from the right way; one who has apostatized or turned to error. Compare
'vert . - noun Synonyms Neophyte, Proselyte, etc. See
convert . - To turn aside; turn another way; avert.
- To turn from truth, from propriety, or from its proper purpose; distort from its use or end; misinterpret wilfully.
- To turn from right opinions or right conduct; corrupt.
- To perform the geometrical operation of perversion upon (any figure).
- To turn aside from the right course, way, etc.; take a wrong course; become corrupt or corrupted.
- To become a pervert or turncoat.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb rare To become perverted; to take the wrong course.
- noun One who has been perverted; one who has turned to error, especially in religion; -- opposed to
convert . See the Synonym ofconvert . - transitive verb obsolete To turnanother way; to divert.
- transitive verb To turn from truth, rectitude, or propriety; to divert from a right use, end, or way; to lead astray; to corrupt; also, to misapply; to misinterpret designedly.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun dated One who has been perverted; one who has turned to
error ; one who has turned to atwisted sense ofvalues ormorals . - noun A sexually perverted person.
- verb transitive To turn another way; to divert.
- verb transitive To turn from truth, rectitude, or propriety; to divert from a right use, end, or way; to lead astray; to corrupt
- verb To misapply; to misinterpret designedly.
- verb intransitive To become perverted; to take the wrong course.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb change the inherent purpose or function of something
- verb corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
- verb practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive
- noun a person whose behavior deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behavior
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Oxford, and then became what we call a pervert, and what I suppose they call a convert.
The Way We Live Now 2004
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He took his degree at Oxford, and then became what we call a pervert, and what I suppose they call a convert.
The Way We Live Now Anthony Trollope 1848
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At some point, probably in the 1980s, the "power-elite of the media" decided that it was no longer appropriate to use the word "pervert" to describe homosexuals.
Forbes.com: News Timothy B. Lee 2011
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; "Part of me thinks this disgusting pervert is the best thing that ever happened to me."
My Report report 2009
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(Thinking he might be a repressed zealot or a pervert is optional.) Arthur Kirkland (Quote)
The Volokh Conspiracy » Third Circuit Upholds Injunction of Threatened “Sexting” Prosecution 2010
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JJ proves that not every minister/politicial/sex pervert is a Republican ladybug in CA
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COme on Smidge the pervert is on the other side of people.
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Doesn't some of the protectors (WEA) wanna know what that pervert is thinking about when he has to disipline a teenage girl.
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Accept the fact that this pervert is one of your own and move on.
Sound Politics: Well-known GOP activist Bi-partisan government insider held in sex-predator sting 2006
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Well, OK, strictly speaking, I am a freakin pervert, if you listen to the Moral Moronity, but on a scale of 1 to 10, honestly, I hardly rate.
Archive 2004-09-01 Hal Duncan 2004
garyth123 commented on the word pervert
In Scotland, a man who is more interested in women than in drinking, according to Billy Connolly.
March 10, 2009
bilby commented on the word pervert
If someone is convicted of perverting the course of justice, they are a justice pervert are they not?
February 26, 2025