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
From top to bottom, this administration embodies the perversity, ignorance and belligerence of its leader.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
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
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perversity
Noun
-
The patches do more than simply lessen symptoms such as night sweats and irritability.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Trigger-point injections reverse the hyper-irritability of nerves by inhibiting the influx of neurochemicals and re-regulating the function of various nerves.—
Dr. Patricia Richard,
Hartford Courant,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Another day, as Mom loads the children into the car, Jeremy tosses a basketball against the house, again and again, his passive aggression registering through the ball’s unyielding thuds and his own frozen gaze.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Sources have told The Star that KU’s coaching staff believed in his potential but wanted to see more physicality and aggression from him.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But coach Bill Self and his assistants wanted more aggressiveness and physicality from the freshman — and said so at multiple points during the season.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
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Colorado’s aggressiveness with trading away draft picks and prospects to help the NHL club’s pursuit of a Stanley Cup has often left the organization’s pipeline thin, but also provides opportunities for undrafted players like Logan O’Connor and Sam Malinski to earn chances and thrive.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perversity. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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