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
-
Even mild dehydration can lead to headaches, dry skin, dizziness, lower alertness, poor attention, irritability, and fatigue.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Mary does nothing to hide her irritability with him, something Metcalf conveys to perfection.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
On Friday, the EU’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, urged European leaders to stand up to Russian aggression.—
Azhar Sukri,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The second half was a much different story as Punch maintained his confidence and aggression.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hamlin’s success has been built on aggressiveness, composure and a sixth sense at high speeds.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Way, meanwhile, enjoys watching Katie’s aggressiveness.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perversity. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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