pervert

verb

per·vert | \ pər-ˈvərt

perverted; perverting; perverts

Definition of pervert

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

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

noun

per·vert | \ ˈpər-ˌvərt

Definition of pervert (Entry 2 of 2)

: one that has been perverted specifically : one given to some form of sexual perversion

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Choose the Right Synonym for pervert

Verb

debase, vitiate, deprave, corrupt, debauch, pervert mean to cause deterioration or lowering in quality or character. debase implies a loss of position, worth, value, or dignity. commercialism has debased the holiday vitiate implies a destruction of purity, validity, or effectiveness by allowing entrance of a fault or defect. a foreign policy vitiated by partisanship deprave implies moral deterioration by evil thoughts or influences. the claim that society is depraved by pornography corrupt implies loss of soundness, purity, or integrity. the belief that bureaucratese corrupts the language debauch implies a debasing through sensual indulgence. the long stay on a tropical isle had debauched the ship's crew pervert implies a twisting or distorting from what is natural or normal. perverted the original goals of the institute

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

No, but this doesn’t mean interpretations of the law cannot be perverted for the purpose of prosecuting Mr. Trump. — James Freeman, WSJ, "Trump and Campaign Finance," 13 Dec. 2018 Osama bin Laden and his ilk have perverted a peaceful religion, devoting it not to the salvation of souls but to the destruction of bodies. — John Mccain, Popular Mechanics, "John McCain: The 9/11 Conspiracy Myths and the Truth Under Attack," 11 Sep. 2018 This is an episode when everything gets perverted in a way. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "‘Billions’ co-creator Brian Koppelman says everyone knows how to tell a great story — but few get the chance," 19 July 2018 And medicine, like any other profession, has its charlatans and jerks, and is certainly being perverted by the bean counters. — Judith Shulevitz, New York Times, "Is Our Obsession With Wellness Doing Us In?," 11 June 2018 The jury found her guilty of slavery offences and perverting the course of justice. — The Economist, "Britain’s new law against modern slavery secures a rare conviction," 5 July 2018 Three others — Peter Metcalf, who was a lawyer for South Yorkshire Police, and two high-ranking police officers at the time, Donald Denton and Alan Foster, will face trial on charges of perverting justice. — Michael Wolgelenter, New York Times, "Hillsborough Police Commander Faces Trial in 95 Soccer Deaths," 29 June 2018 The law was perverted and ignored and now, the Department of Justice and FBI are trying to cover it up by refusing to give over documents to Congress. — Fox News, "Media take shots at Trump, Ivanka over Mideast violence," 15 May 2018 What perverted the system was a rule that began to allow cash to flow from manufacturers to the GPOs. — Phillip L. Zweig And, WSJ, "Where Does the Law Against Kickbacks Not Apply? Your Hospital," 7 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

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 The bit continues poking fun at the production side of the show, with the pervert even getting make up and testing different lines. — Allison Crist, Billboard, "Watch Tina Fey Navigate Star-Studded Audience in 'SNL' Hosting Return," 20 May 2018 And more importantly, the only people who actually drink out of flasks are teens at high school football games and perverts. — Yang-yi Goh, GQ, "15 Groomsmen Gifts Your Friends Will Actually Appreciate," 31 May 2018 According to The Guardian, Juan Carlos said the topic came up because some Chilean bishops reportedly accused him of lying about his abuse, and attempted to paint him as a pervert. — Emma Sarran Webster, Teen Vogue, "Pope Francis Reportedly Told a Gay Man “God Made You Like This”," 21 May 2018 One need only practice pelvic tilts and butt lifts in front of a full-length mirror to see that, at the very least, people would give you strange looks and, at the most extreme, someone might dial 911 to report a pervert. — Marcy Meffert, San Antonio Express-News, "The waiting is the hardest part," 11 May 2018

These 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.