as in irritability
readiness to show annoyance or impatience
a certain coworker's habitual perversity makes him unpleasant to be around
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perversity
His shrieking reactions to his wife’s savagery throw into relief his good nature and her perversity.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
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
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perversity
Noun
-
Restricting them can increase irritability, low mood, food preoccupation, and risk of binge eating.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Sleep also plays a major role in emotional regulation and cognitive performance as insufficient sleep can impair attention, decision-making and reaction time while also increasing irritability and sensitivity to stress.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Kyiv fears that Moscow could use that territory as a launchpad for further aggression.—
Volodymyr Yurchuk,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Unfortunately, the quality of the program was low and resulted in rising aggression and behavior issues among children, especially boys, and hurt parental relationships.—
Abby McCloskey,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And though some executives have noted his methodical approach can be difficult when making deals, others have praised his overall aggressiveness.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Still, Bridges insists aggressiveness is not the issue.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perversity. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
