perverse

perverse
perverse, pervert, perverted
1. Perverse and perverted, both derived from the Latin root pervertere ‘to turn away’ (from what is normal or correct), are easily confused. Perverse means ‘stubbornly unreasonable’ (usually of actions or circumstances but also of people):

• Amazingly, perversely, and rather to her regret (a flat battery would have been a cast-iron excuse to abort the visit) the engine fired —David Lodge, 1988.

• It would be perverse of him not to be pleased, but Matthiesson feels the plaudits are often misplaced —Sunday Herald, 2002.

Perverted means ‘departing from right opinion or conduct’ and is commonly used with reference to abnormal or deviant sexual behaviour:

• I've seen blokes in hot countries go clean round the oojar because of the perverted practices of native women —Brian Aldiss, 1971.

2. Pervert is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable as a noun (= a person who is sexually perverted) and with the stress on the second syllable as a verb (= to corrupt, lead astray).

Modern English usage. 2014.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Perverse — Per*verse , a. [L. perversus turned the wrong way, not right, p. p. of pervertereto turn around, to overturn: cf. F. pervers. See {Pervert}.] 1. Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away from the right; willfully erring; wicked; perverted.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • perverse — I adjective bad, bad natured, bad tempered, base, bellicose, belligerent, boorish, bumptious, cantankerous, captious, churlish, contemptible, contrary, contumacious, contumelious, corrupt, corrupted, crabbed, cranky, cross, crusty, debauched,… …   Law dictionary

  • perverse — (adj.) mid 14c., wicked, from O.Fr. pervers, from L. perversus turned away (from what is right), contrary, askew, pp. of pervertere to corrupt (see PERVERT (Cf. pervert) (v.)). The Latin word is glossed in Old English by forcerred, from pp. of… …   Etymology dictionary

  • perverse — *contrary, restive, balky, froward, wayward Analogous words: *unruly, ungovernable, recalcitrant, refractory: *obstinate, stubborn, mulish, pigheaded, stiff necked: fractious, *irritable, peevish …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • perverse — [adj] mean, ornery; troublesome abnormal, bad tempered, cantankerous, capricious, contradictory, contrary, contumacious, corrupt, crabby*, cross, degenerate, delinquent, depraved, deviant, disobedient, dogged*, erring, fractious, hard nosed*,… …   New thesaurus

  • perverse — ► ADJECTIVE 1) showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave unacceptably. 2) contrary to that which is accepted or expected. 3) sexually perverted. DERIVATIVES perversely adverb perverseness noun perversity noun (pl. perversities) …   English terms dictionary

  • perverse — [pər vʉrs′] adj. [ME pervers < OFr < L perversus, pp. of pervertere: see PERVERT] 1. deviating from what is considered right or good; wrong, improper, etc. or corrupt, wicked, etc.; perverted 2. persisting in error or fault; stubbornly… …   English World dictionary

  • perverse — ● pervers, perverse adjectif et nom (latin perversus, de pervertere, pervertir) Qui est enclin à faire le mal et qui le tente par des moyens détournés : Un être pervers qui espère votre échec. Dont les instincts sexuels se manifestent par un… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • perverse — adj. perverse to + inf. (it was perverse to behave like that) * * * [pə vɜːs] perverse to + inf. (it was perverse to behave like that) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • perverse — [[t]pə(r)vɜ͟ː(r)s[/t]] ADJ GRADED: oft it v link ADJ to inf (disapproval) Someone who is perverse deliberately does things that are unreasonable or that result in harm for themselves. It would be perverse to stop this healthy trend...… …   English dictionary

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