Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Contrary to what is right or good; wicked or depraved.
  • adjective Characterized by or resulting from willful opposition or resistance to what is right, expected, or reasonable.
  • adjective Willfully opposing or resisting what is right, expected, or reasonable.
  • adjective Having an effect opposite to what is intended or expected.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Turned away or deviating from what is right, proper, correct, etc.; perverted.
  • Obstinate in the wrong; disposed to be contrary; stubborn; untractable; self-willed.
  • Cross; petulant; peevish; disposed to cross and vex.
  • Untoward: as, ‘event perverse!
  • noun A geometrical form related to another (of which it is said t. be the perverse) as the form of the image of an object in a plane mirror is to that of the object itself.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away from the right; willfully erring; wicked; perverted.
  • adjective Obstinate in the wrong; stubborn; intractable; hence, wayward; vexing; contrary.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away from the (morally) right; willfully erring; wicked; perverted.
  • adjective Obstinately in the wrong; stubborn; intractable; hence, wayward; vexing; contrary.
  • adjective law, of a verdict Ignoring the evidence or the judge's opinions.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict
  • adjective resistant to guidance or discipline
  • adjective deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or good

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English pervers, from Old French, from Latin perversus, past participle of pervertere, to pervert; see pervert.]

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Examples

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  • A scoundrel (bajingan) plots evil, and on their lips it is like a scorching fire. A PERVERSE (jahat) person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. Proverbs 16:27-28.

    March 21, 2011

  • hi

    April 14, 2022