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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in irritability
readiness to show annoyance or impatience
the kind of perverseness that makes you want to snap at anyone who makes the mistake of greeting you
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of perverse
David Faris, Newsweek, 17 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
Scientists must do their part to preserve and defend the scientific enterprise by doing better science, fixing the perverse incentives that encourage misconduct and making greater efforts to educate the public about how science works.
—Ferric C. Fang, Baltimore Sun, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perverse
Adjective
The result is a perverse incentive for states to cut services for the truly needy.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 17 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
Scientists must do their part to preserve and defend the scientific enterprise by doing better science, fixing the perverse incentives that encourage misconduct and making greater efforts to educate the public about how science works.
—Ferric C. Fang, Baltimore Sun, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perverse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perverse
Adjective
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And even in what was a stilted match played in an increasingly irritable atmosphere, Rogers and Tielemans delivered with an assist each.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
This stretch can worsen pain in people with back pain, very tight hamstrings, or irritable nerves.—
Aubrey Bailey, PT, DPT, CHT,
Verywell Health,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Taking away a tool that saves millions of Americans money to boost the tax prep industry's profits is another corrupt giveaway to Big Business.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
-
By the end of the finale episode, Kingpin has essentially taken control of the entire city and the Punisher is kidnapped by the corrupt police but Daredevil is assembling his own army to combat the tyrant.—
Skyler Trepel,
People.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Why Communication Training Often Fails To Stick Some people are very stubborn and stick to their communication style, even when confronted.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
-
The most glaring of those misses came against Arsenal in October, with Bournemouth trying to break down a stubborn defence following William Saliba’s dismissal.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Mickey Rourke was removed from the Celebrity Big Brother UK house after further usage of inappropriate language.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
13 Apr. 2025
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Lewin has insisted there was nothing inappropriate about this visit.—
Nick Tabor,
Curbed,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Negative symptoms may include irritability, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, sleepiness, breathing problems, heart attacks, kidney failure and muscle damage, according to the CDC.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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Does your child mock emotions, roll his eyes at equality, or show an uptick in irritability toward female teachers, or even you?—
Samantha Mann,
Parents,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Read Next World ‘Stocky’ creature with ‘fiery orange’ eyes found mating.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The sun is currently experiencing solar maximum, or the peak in its 11-year cycle, and as the sun becomes more active, researchers have observed increasingly intense solar flares and coronal mass ejections erupting from the fiery orb.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The plan includes 124 projects designed to dredge sand, rebuild degraded marshes, and add levees, floodgates and storm surge barriers.—
Adeel Hassan,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
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Apple spent years ignoring RCS, allowing iPhones to offer a degraded messaging experience with Android users.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Since then, White House officials have remained adamant about sticking by Hegseth, even as criticism has mounted in recent weeks and questions about his judgment have resurfaced.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
22 Apr. 2025
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Despite the significant decline, the Trump administration is adamant about shoring up the border to ensure it is left secure before leaving office.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perverse. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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