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
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Stress may show up later as irritability, withdrawal, errors, or decision paralysis.—
Paula Davis,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Watch for warning signs such as pale or reddened skin, shivering, irritability or tiredness.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the public mind, weakness invited aggression.—
Dustin Olson,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Moreover, America is already committed to defending Greenland against aggression via Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.—
Peter Juul Tribune News Service,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And the first half was a virtuoso blend of aggressiveness and controlling tempo from Payton, as Nix had a couple of deep shots to Marvin Mims and Lil'Jordan Humphrey, but also controlled the game with his legs.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2026
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The 2026 version of the San Diego Mojo is built on a blend of toughness and aggressiveness that shines through with a relentless defense that extends rallies and attempts to frustrate the offense on the other side of the net.—
Tim Meehan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perversity. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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