1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
how can you be so cheerful one day, and so perverse the next?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
social conservatives who believe that Hollywood is a perverse world that exerts an unhealthy influence on the young
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
a fact so self-evident that not even the most perverse of opponents could deny it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
a convicted criminal seemed like a perverse choice for a bank employee
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perverse
The kiss became a key piece of a prosecutorial propaganda campaign, giddily inflamed by the tabloid media, that framed Knox as a perverse, cold-blooded killer.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 20 Aug. 2025
In a perverse way, Katrina is responsible for that.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
But the quest to solve this problem may create perverse incentives.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
What might seem a perverse choice reveals itself, over Dry Leaf’s epic length, as a brilliant thematic gesture that elicits its own temporal register.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perverse
Judy Berman, Time, 20 Aug. 2025
In a perverse way, Katrina is responsible for that.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
But the quest to solve this problem may create perverse incentives.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
What might seem a perverse choice reveals itself, over Dry Leaf’s epic length, as a brilliant thematic gesture that elicits its own temporal register.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perverse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perverse
Adjective
-
When the caffeine wears off, children may have a headache and feel irritable or tired.—
Dr. Mark Corkins,
Boston Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
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He was adopted two weeks later, but after 18 months in his home, Scoob developed a painful skin condition that caused his ears to bleed and left him extremely irritable.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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According to the latest 2024 Transparency International report, the Americas average 42 out of 100 points on a scale where 100 is very transparent and zero is very corrupt.—
Sofía Benavides,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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With the help of Landy and Nicky Parsons, Bourne goes up against Vosen (David Strathairn), the corrupt director of Operation Blackbriar.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Inflation is stubborn, unemployment is rising and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has even confirmed that Gen Z grads just can’t get a break right now.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Clean With Vinegar And Dish Soap Dish soap cuts through grease and grime to make removing stubborn dirt easier.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Charile Kirk championed peoples' right to speech others may find inappropriate.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
20 Sep. 2025
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Corpus is also accused of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with her former chief of staff Victor Aenlle, who was fired by the board of supervisors last year.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Menu includes dishes like zajiang mian (noodles with a rich pork sauce), spicy noodles with beef and a variety of other tasty, fiery options.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Mayfield’s fiery competitive style didn’t end when the clock hit triple zeroes.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Under her leadership, the NYBG’s research team has expanded to 81 projects across 79 countries to conserve disappearing plant species, restore degraded ecosystems, and breed crops to withstand drought, sea level rise and extreme heat under climate change.—
Eduardo Garcia,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Smoke will also lead to degraded air quality.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But while much of record labels’ promotional efforts have shifted to platforms including TikTok, Shinedown has remained adamant about the importance of terrestrial radio.—
Glenn Peoples,
Billboard,
18 Sep. 2025
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In a 24/7 news cycle, Hemmer is adamant about balancing urgency with accuracy.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But when attendees arrived on the remote island, there was little food — except, famously, cheese sandwiches — along with tents for housing and no actual music performances as the festival crumbled, with McFarland blaming improper infrastructure.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Citizens said its policy didn’t cover some of the property damaged by the leak and said other damage was due to wear and tear and improper installation.—
Mario Ariza,
ProPublica,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perverse. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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