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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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perverse
The kiss became a key piece of a prosecutorial propaganda campaign, giddily inflamed by the tabloid media, that framed Knox as a perverse, cold-blooded killer.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 20 Aug. 2025
In a perverse way, Katrina is responsible for that.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
But the quest to solve this problem may create perverse incentives.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
What might seem a perverse choice reveals itself, over Dry Leaf’s epic length, as a brilliant thematic gesture that elicits its own temporal register.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perverse
Judy Berman, Time, 20 Aug. 2025
In a perverse way, Katrina is responsible for that.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
But the quest to solve this problem may create perverse incentives.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
What might seem a perverse choice reveals itself, over Dry Leaf’s epic length, as a brilliant thematic gesture that elicits its own temporal register.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perverse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perverse
Adjective
-
He was adopted two weeks later, but after 18 months in his home, Scoob developed a painful skin condition that caused his ears to bleed and left him extremely irritable.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Instead, Helen is allowed to be irritable and anti-social, chain-smoking and snappish, without the filmmaker casting judgment.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
According to the latest 2024 Transparency International report, the Americas average 42 out of 100 points on a scale where 100 is very transparent and zero is very corrupt.—
Sofía Benavides,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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With the help of Landy and Nicky Parsons, Bourne goes up against Vosen (David Strathairn), the corrupt director of Operation Blackbriar.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Viewers were quick to point out the hilarity of the dog's stubborn protest, with many suggesting that the dachshund had already claimed permanent rights to the bed.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The stubborn myth that Jews are too safe to be targets is colliding with a painful new reality.—
Andrew Weinstein,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Some of my friends were pressured to send inappropriate pictures, contacted by strangers, and exposed to content way beyond our age.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Businesses/nominees cannot obtain votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And as the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears face off, on September 8th, to kick off the new season, fans can expect a soundtrack that’s as fiery as her nails.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
11 Sep. 2025
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But while Christy flaunts a fiery persona in the ring, her toughest battles unfold outside it — confronting family, identity, and a relationship that just might become life or death.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Smoke will also lead to degraded air quality.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The challenge grows in degraded or denied GPS environments, where many existing bombs lose precision.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
However, her mother is adamant about keeping the canine off the antique chair.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
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Sandlin was adamant that his engineering team has done everything possible to ensure no adverse impact to neighboring properties.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But when attendees arrived on the remote island, there was little food — except, famously, cheese sandwiches — along with tents for housing and no actual music performances as the festival crumbled, with McFarland blaming improper infrastructure.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Citizens said its policy didn’t cover some of the property damaged by the leak and said other damage was due to wear and tear and improper installation.—
Mario Ariza,
ProPublica,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perverse. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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