as in irritability
readiness to show annoyance or impatience
a certain coworker's habitual perversity makes him unpleasant to be around
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Recent Examples of perversity
For me, there’s always the perversity of getting on a trendy bandwagon and just liking it for the irony.
—
Marc Malkin, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Here, Henkel leans into the inherent perversity that lingered in the sequels but has rarely been effectively employed since Hooper’s original.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
The perversity of government stakes in private companies is made even clearer by other Washington antics.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Actions matter, not words that, in their perversity, made matters worse.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Marc Malkin, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Here, Henkel leans into the inherent perversity that lingered in the sequels but has rarely been effectively employed since Hooper’s original.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
The perversity of government stakes in private companies is made even clearer by other Washington antics.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Actions matter, not words that, in their perversity, made matters worse.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perversity
Noun
-
During withdrawal from a substance, people feel profound emotional discomfort, including sadness and irritability.—
Claire Wilcox,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
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Even for those without diabetes, blood sugar swings can lead to fatigue, hunger, irritability and cravings, experts say, but a few smart swaps plus timing your meals strategically can help keep blood sugar steady.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Neuroscience also reveals how collective memory and leadership dynamics can steer a society toward increasing aggression or maintaining peace.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
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Tyrer had the insidious condition caused by repetitive head trauma and known to cause aggression, mood swings, depression and paranoia.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Thursday, the Red Wings managed to play smart hockey without sacrificing their aggressiveness.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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Yet despite the cancer's aggressiveness, its hormone-sensitive nature offers a viable treatment pathway, according to the National Cancer Institute.—
Molly Nagle,
ABC News,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perversity. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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