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 Spufford has a sure grasp of the perverted politics and relentless grind of the wheels of capitalism, circa 1922. Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024 Mass murders in schools have been committed by shooters for whom an AR-15 is a tool of perverted emancipation. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2023 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

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on perverted

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