Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Directed away from what is right or good; perverted.
- adj. Obstinately persisting in an error or fault; wrongly self-willed or stubborn.
- adj. Marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict.
- adj. Arising from such a disposition.
- adj. Cranky; peevish.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- 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!” Synonyms Perverse, Froward, wilful, mulish. The derivations of perverse and froward suggest essentially the same idea. Froward, however, has reference only to one's attitude in regard to obedience, and chiefly, therefore, to the behavior of children; in Shakspere, of women. It is not used of a disobedient spirit toward civil law, and perverse is only indirectly so used. Perverse has reference to one's attitude, in both conduct and opinion. The perverse person is settled in habit and disposition of contrariness; he not only likes or dislikes, acts or refuses to act, by the rule of contradiction to the wishes, commands, or opinions of others, especially of those whom he ought to consider, but he is likely even to take pains to do or say that which he knows to be offensive or painful to them. Perversity may be found in a child, but it is so settled an element of character as to be rather the mark of an adult. See
wayward . - n. A geometrical form related to another (of which it is said t. be the perverse) as the form of image of an object in a plane mirror is to that of the object itself.
Wiktionary
- adj. Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away from the (morally) right; willfully erring; wicked; perverted.
- adj. Obstinately in the wrong; stubborn; intractable; hence, wayward; vexing; contrary.
- adj. law, of a verdict Ignoring the evidence or the judge's opinions.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away from the right; willfully erring; wicked; perverted.
- adj. Obstinate in the wrong; stubborn; intractable; hence, wayward; vexing; contrary.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict
- adj. resistant to guidance or discipline
- adj. deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or good
Etymologies
- Middle English pervers, from Old French, from Latin perversus, past participle of pervertere, to pervert; see pervert. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“I have what I call perverse desire, which I think is key to being an artist of any kind.”
“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.”
“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 word perverse doesn’t begin to do the event justice.”
“And just how schizophrenic and perverse is our culture?”
ProWomanProLife » Your beautifully inspiring story of the day
“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.”
“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.”
“Among other things, the money helps offset the short-term perverse incentives they would otherwise have to clear their forests for the timber money or to make room for slash-and-burn agriculture.”
The Huffington Post: Tensie Whelan: Saving Forests with Carrots as well as Sticks - Part 2
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘perverse’.
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1100
abound, technology, branch of knowled..., prognosticate, automaton, matron, an older married ..., realm, special field of ..., kingdom, annals, historical records and 981 more...
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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hunting
crudely, unequivocal, obsolete, obscure, overtly, misdeed, shack, inherent, outcry, hefty, composed, poised and 318 more...
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sdamle1
echt
echt, apocalypse, resurgence, forthright, logorrhea, mercurial, torrid, exorcise, obscure, intrusive, morose, vindictive and 99 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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GRE 2014
abase, abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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EN - eloquence in public speaking
Key words from "The Training of a Public Speaker" by Grenville Kleiser (New York and London, 1920)
beget, imago, approbation, orator, peroration, Cicero, eloquence, elocution, rhetoric, premeditate, plead, Isocrates and 264 more...
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(1st_wk_150)-Dec_5_2012
replete, steeped, eminent, indiscriminate, voracious, automaton, prognosticate, technology, abound, matron, tinge, compound and 297 more...
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unyielding
refractory, unmanageable, ungovernable, obstinate, contumacious, stubborn, unyielding, unruly, perverse, refractoriness, inanimates, contrary and 12 more...
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Verses
inverse, reverse, universe, obverse, adverse, averse, converse, bouleversement, diverse, overseas, oversee, oversew and 20 more...
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Random Words! Add Your Own! :D
Randomness time! Add your own words. ❤
Love, bucket, brigade, actuary, canal, canasta, why is the door open, coconut, stochastic, haphazard, accidental, chance and 38 more...
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D_Verbatim
sporadic, peculiar, treacherous, niche, ambiance, ruckus, notion, voyeurism, exclusion, proselytize, opaque, perverse and 13 more...
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GRE 1100
drudgery, implore, hapless, nuance, wrest, incipient, inadvertent, tremulous, bristle, euphemism, disdain, pugnacious and 346 more...
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big book gre
abase, abbess, abbey, abbot, abdicate, abdomen, abdominal, abduction, abed, aberration, abet, abeyance and 6691 more...
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1100 words you need to know
GRE words
voracious, indiscriminate, eminent, steeped, replete, abound, technology, prognosticate, automaton, matron, paradox, realm and 288 more...
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GRE Words
abjure, unswear, state, rescission, indemnification, ab, reny, abnegate, vitiated, vitiate, adumbrated, abash and 378 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for perverse.
Kristianto2010 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.
Mar 20, 2011