1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
how can you be so cheerful one day, and so perverse the next?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
social conservatives who believe that Hollywood is a perverse world that exerts an unhealthy influence on the young
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
a fact so self-evident that not even the most perverse of opponents could deny it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
a convicted criminal seemed like a perverse choice for a bank employee
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perverse
Working at the height of his powers, Burton was given free rein to create one of the most astonishingly strange and perverse summer blockbusters of all time.
—
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025
And tariffs could have a perverse and uncomfortable upside, Caitlin Daniel, a researcher at Harvard, told me.
—Rachel Sugar, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2025
The whole Medicare sector well may be rife with such perverse incentives.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2025
The viciousness of Manson’s crimes left a lasting mark on American culture and Manson himself achieved a perverse popularity — which has not dissipated in the years since his death.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perverse
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025
And tariffs could have a perverse and uncomfortable upside, Caitlin Daniel, a researcher at Harvard, told me.
—Rachel Sugar, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2025
The whole Medicare sector well may be rife with such perverse incentives.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2025
The viciousness of Manson’s crimes left a lasting mark on American culture and Manson himself achieved a perverse popularity — which has not dissipated in the years since his death.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perverse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perverse
Adjective
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Strong winds also may have North Texans feeling more irritable, which scientists blame on there being too many positive ions in the air.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Mar. 2025
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Signs of overextension burnout include feeling emotionally drained, becoming irritable and struggling to focus—all of which can affect both your work and personal life.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom is a soap opera about a hospital where the doctors aren’t good-looking or vibrating with noble sentiment but generally corrupt or insane.—
Adam Thirlwell,
The New York Review of Books,
20 Mar. 2025
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The Filipino-language thriller follows Dahlia, a disillusioned police aide who steals money from the safe of her corrupt police chief boss, distributing it to slum dwellers whose homes were destroyed.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Happy Birthday for Saturday, March 29, 2025: You are opinionated and stubborn.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2025
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Described by family as larger-than-life in personality and stature, the 6-foot-5-inch Wesley is remembered as a jovial, fiercely stubborn man with a quick wit and passion for advocacy.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Cornelius said that the superintendent later informed her of other prior incidents including her son — who has autism and is nonverbal — getting a shower without her permission, getting called vulgar names by staff and teachers, and receiving other inappropriate comments.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2025
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The app has a private messaging feature that can lead to inappropriate conversations with predators.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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More than just Flagg’s multidimensional skillset, Gatorade viewed Flagg’s fiery competitiveness as a good fit for the brand.—
Jeff Fedotin,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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When the recent Starship test came to its fiery end, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded by halting air traffic around the Orlando, Miami, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale airports.—
Edward Woodson,
Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Users still using the TikTok app following a ban can also expect a degraded experience, as the app will be forced to rely on foreign servers, potentially resulting in slower performance for American users.—
Esat Dedezade,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
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Meier is among the authors of a WWF report that outlines steps towards restoring, conserving, and sustainably managing grasslands, and urges for them to be included in global UN targets aiming to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems and 30% of terrestrial and aquatic environments by 2030.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN,
6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Nobody’s shooting on this season’s Longhorns would be mistaken for Stephen Curry’s, but Schaefer is adamant that this group stands out among his 20-year head-coaching career.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Still, Jenkins was adamant about not moving to the city.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Medicare, the health insurance program for senior citizens, racked up $54.3 billion in improper payments last year.—
Kevin R. Kosar,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Mar. 2025
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This can happen due to simple things like the passage of time, changes in circumstance or improper categorization.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA TODAY,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perverse. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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