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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Psychiatric and emotional effects of OSA can also be associated with cognitive decline, and may include irritability, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.—
Heidi Moawad,
Verywell Health,
9 Feb. 2026
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Researchers studied childhood concussions in patients aged 6 months to about 6 years and found that while most of the children recovered from their symptoms, such as dizziness, irritability, and headaches, within a few weeks, 28% continued to have symptoms a month after their injury.—
Jillian Pretzel,
Parents,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Armia, also signed over the summer, has been as advertised, bringing aggression, energy and a serious threat to score shorthanded.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
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With Russia and Belarus officially banned, and the games taking place in Europe, there will likely be significant diplomatic attention on Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.—
Samuel Sanders,
Time,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Way, meanwhile, enjoys watching Katie’s aggressiveness.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Errington has an endearing likability and a sense of mischief, but more aggressiveness and overconfidence would better suit the character.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perversity. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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