perverted

adjective

per·​vert·​ed pər-ˈvər-təd How to pronounce perverted (audio)
1
2
: marked by perversion
pervertedly adverb
pervertedness noun

Examples of perverted in a Sentence

He took a perverted pleasure in watching them suffer. the perverted values of a society that had taken permissiveness to the extreme
Recent Examples on the Web Many critics have observed that the Mafia, in cinema, often stands in as a perverted and grotesque form of capitalism — fitting, for a form of organized crime that was world-historically successful at making the line between legitimate enterprise and criminality wafer-thin. New York Times, 29 Sep. 2021 This indicates a perverted incentive structure that disadvantages the less costly version of the product. Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 2 Apr. 2023 The solution arrived like a perverted aha moment. Nick Romano, EW.com, 25 Sep. 2020 In the most perverted scene in the entire three-hour film, she — an adult woman! — straight up drinks a full glass of milk like some kind of freak … or some kind of person who role-plays as a cat. Vulture, 18 Apr. 2022 The colorectal specialist in Turtle Bay has a benignly perverted air. Cara Schacter, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2022 Of course, there is no chance of totally shutting down those who would do harm to others — especially on the high-profile stage that sports provides — in pursuit of their perverted goals. Paul Newberry, ajc, 2 Sep. 2022 The tension is further spiked by the return of Gallo’s Sammy, who tempts her with drugs and lays bare his perverted designs on her young daughter. John Semley, The New Republic, 17 Feb. 2022 People often looked at Black women's beauty as perverted or dirty. Jihan Forbes, Allure, 21 Jan. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perverted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of perverted was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near perverted

Cite this Entry

“Perverted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perverted. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

perverted

adjective
per·​vert·​ed pər-ˈvərt-əd How to pronounce perverted (audio)
: marked by perversion

Medical Definition

perverted

adjective
: marked by abnormality or perversion
perverted pancreatic function
relieve concepts or fears of perverted sexual interestW. H. Masters & V. E. Johnson

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