To save this word, you'll need to log in.
per·vert | \ pər-ˈvərt 
\
\perverted; perverting; perverts
Definition of pervert
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : to cause to turn aside or away from what is good or true or morally right : corrupt
b : to cause to turn aside or away from what is generally done or accepted : misdirect
2a : to divert to a wrong end or purpose : misuse
b : to twist the meaning or sense of : misinterpret
pervert
nounper·vert | \ ˈpər-ˌvərt \
\Definition of pervert (Entry 2 of 2)
: one that has been perverted specifically : one given to some form of sexual perversion
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for pervert
Synonyms: Verb
- bend,
- color,
- cook,
- distort,
- falsify,
- fudge,
- garble,
- misinterpret,
- misrelate,
- misrepresent,
- misstate,
- slant,
- twist,
- warp
Synonyms: Noun
- backslider,
- debauchee,
- debaucher,
- decadent,
- degenerate,
- deviate,
- libertine,
- perv,
- profligate,
- rake,
- rakehell,
- rip
Examples of pervert in a Sentence
Verb
people who pervert their religion to support violence
They perverted the truth to help further their careers.
movies that pervert the minds of young people by glorifying violence Noun
longtime residents warned us not to go near the neighborhood pervert
See More
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The first protests soon erupted, with many people believing Mr. Babis was perverting the legal system to protect himself.
—
New York Times, "In the Largest Protests in Decades, Czechs Demand Resignation of Prime Minister," 23 June 2019 Hayden-Johnson pleaded guilty in 2009 to child cruelty and perverting the course of justice.
—
Jeff Truesdell, PEOPLE.com, "Munchausen by Proxy Moms: These Mothers Harmed Their Children to Gain Sympathy for Themselves," 2 Dec. 2019 Their service and sacrifice and their willingness to fight for and give their lives for our country should inspire all of us to never give in to those who abuse power, pervert our constitution and steal our freedoms.
—
Lisa Donovan, chicagotribune.com, "The Rev. Jesse Jackson and Jesse Jackson Jr. ask President Trump for release, pardon of imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich," 16 July 2019 But those concerns must yield to the overwhelming evidence that Trump perverted U.S. foreign policy for his own political gain.
—
Brian Stelter, CNN, "Editorial boards of Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe call for Trump's impeachment," 8 Dec. 2019 Queen & Slim perverts the road-movie genre that is usually about social exploration, not bias confirmation.
—
Armond White, National Review, "Queen & Slim, a Meme Movie for Black Lives Matter Fans," 27 Nov. 2019 Bones protrude monstrously from his emaciated body, and his soul-rattling laughter perverts a hallmark of happiness.
—
Brian Truitt, Detroit Free Press, "Joaquin Phoenix will chill you in unsettling 'Joker'," 28 Aug. 2019 Jefferson, therefore, was not complaining about spies in his White House (as Ivanka appeared to be implying) or that facts were being invented or perverted to inhibit his presidency.
—
CBS News, "What happened in the impeachment inquiry this week?," 1 Nov. 2019 Bray, who pleaded guilty in August to three counts of computer misuse and perverting the course of justice, was sentenced to 14 months at Swindon Crown Court.
—
Reuters, The Mercury News, "Morgue images of soccer star lead to prison sentences," 23 Sep. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Joe also totally kills the pervert (Chris D'Elia) who abused Delilah and who came this close to abusing Ellie.
—
Katherine J Igoe, Marie Claire, "What Happens In 'You' Season 2?," 26 Dec. 2019 Brazil is the virgin that every foreign pervert wants to get their hands on.
—
Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, "At the U.N., Jair Bolsonaro Presents a Surreal Defense of His Amazon Policies," 25 Sep. 2019 Others were perverts and criminals, their sense of power engorged by their victims’ weakness.
—
Stephen Galloway, The Hollywood Reporter, "Les Moonves, Kevin Tsujihara and the Art of Hollywood Self-Sabotage," 23 Aug. 2019 More: Michigan priest: 'I was made to look like a pervert' by the Saginaw diocese.
—
Andrea Perez Balderrama, Detroit Free Press, "West Michigan priest allegedly held teen against his will, wrapped him in plastic," 22 Aug. 2019 My cousin takes down this pervert down for grabbing her a--.
—
Kathleen Joyce, Fox News, "Georgia waitress takes down man who appears to grope her, epic video shows," 19 July 2018 Maybe nature is strong enough to withstand its perverts.
—
William Saletan, WSJ, "‘She Has Her Mother’s Laugh’ Review: Biology’s Strange New World," 28 June 2018 The Rebel While activists in the ’60s battled the pernicious misconception that gay men were depraved perverts, John Waters fell in love with it.
—
New York Times, "Gaysploitation Upends the Stereotypes That Make Us Wince," 1 June 2018 Limiting the number of victims going forward is the only way to pull a crumb of positivity from a shameful conspiracy of institutions and silence enabling a pervert’s destructive desires.
—
Sam Mellinger, kansascity, "Stopping the next Larry Nassar | The Kansas City Star," 24 Jan. 2018
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pervert.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for pervert
pervert
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of pervert
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to change (something good) so that it is no longer what it was or should be
: to cause (a person or a person's mind) to become immoral or not normal
pervert
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of pervert (Entry 2 of 2)
: a person whose sexual behavior is considered not normal or acceptable
See the full definition for pervert in the English Language Learners Dictionary
pervert
transitive verbper·vert | \ pər-ˈvərt \
\Medical Definition of pervert
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to cause to engage in perversion or to become perverted
pervert
nounper·vert | \ ˈpər-ˌvərt \
\Medical Definition of pervert (Entry 2 of 2)
: one that has been perverted specifically : one given to some form of sexual perversion
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on pervert
What made you want to look up pervert? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
More Confusing Words—Quiz
- The magician
______moved the selected card to the top of the deck.
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- More Confusing Words—Quiz
How many of these commonly confused words do you know?
Take the quiz - Name that Thing: Toys and Games Edition
It's all fun and games until someone beats your high score.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Syn City
Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time.
Play the game
Share pervert
Time Traveler for pervert
The first known use of pervert was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century