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
Scott inflicts Ohm’s nonchalant meanness with a piercingly perverse matter-of-factness that places the character as far away as possible from the realm of likeability.
—
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
The film’s plot is thrust in motion when a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, watching as a starry-eyed nurse (Cemre Paksoy) becomes entangled with her mysterious patient (Bruce McKenzie).
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2026
On social media, actors take a perverse delight in posting pictures of residual payments for amounts lower than the postage needed to mail the check.
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 28 Feb. 2026
The industry says classifying EWA as a loan could have the perverse effect of sending consumers back to higher-cost, risky alternatives such as payday loans or pawn shops by imposing unnecessary restrictions, such as mandatory fees, interest charges and credit reporting requirements.
—Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perverse
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
The film’s plot is thrust in motion when a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, watching as a starry-eyed nurse (Cemre Paksoy) becomes entangled with her mysterious patient (Bruce McKenzie).
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2026
On social media, actors take a perverse delight in posting pictures of residual payments for amounts lower than the postage needed to mail the check.
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 28 Feb. 2026
The industry says classifying EWA as a loan could have the perverse effect of sending consumers back to higher-cost, risky alternatives such as payday loans or pawn shops by imposing unnecessary restrictions, such as mandatory fees, interest charges and credit reporting requirements.
—Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perverse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perverse
Adjective
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From the dramatic adolescent to the unpredictable PMS-ing woman to the irritable menopausal crone, unattractive stereotypes of women ruled by their hormones abound.—
Patricia Bencivenga,
STAT,
26 Mar. 2026
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Caroly is immediately affected, glued to the TV; John, suddenly irritable, retreats.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Smuggling — sometimes by rope, sometimes with the help of corrupt jail guards — has long been a problem at the troubled federal jail, which has been plagued by violence, horrific conditions and severe staffing shortages for years.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
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No corrupt leader enriching himself and the Epstein class buddies.—
Diego Parrado,
Vanity Fair,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Across the Rockies and beyond, many of our favorite mountains were haunted by unseasonably warm spikes and stubborn weather patterns that shut out snow for weeks on end.—
Kristen Geil,
Outside,
31 Mar. 2026
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For stubborn blockages, a plumber’s snake can help break things loose.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The decision to hire independent, outside counsel comes after two district employees were arrested last month, both accused of inappropriate relationships with students.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Separately, Ryals allegedly admitted to inappropriate contact with the victim while alone at the Howe Fire Station, court documents said.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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One social media video taken from along a highway near the barracks showed the aftermath of the strike, with pieces of fiery debris scattered along the mountain range housing the barracks.—
Kevin Collier,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
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One person is dead after a fiery crash involving a tree in New Canaan on Tuesday night.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But its conventional naval power looks severely degraded, while Western allies retain strong minesweeping capabilities that could be deployed to keep global trade flowing.—
Newsweek Editors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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Drawing this degraded, sour crude is akin to pumping industrial poison through our midstream and downstream networks.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Warsh has been adamant about wanting to ease monetary policy.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
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But Dugalić was adamant on a normal-length college career.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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What the report found In response to the allegations in Minnesota, Abbott issued six directives to the state workforce and human services commissions to identify if Texas had a problem with improper payments, specifically with fraud.—
Jess Huff,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
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Manufacturers, though, don’t have to comply if the breakdown is the result of neglect or improper modifications made by the consumer.—
Gray Rohrer,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perverse. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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