perverse

CEFRC1

/pɚˈvɝs/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

01
adjective
Unreasonably contrary or behaving in a way considered wrong.
02
adjective
Extra detail
Morally wrong or evil; wicked; perverted.

Examples

I just bet you were thinking something perverse just now.
Where this perverse sign flip occurs depends on the values of other parameters […].

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses: 5
Parts of speech: 1
Citations: 5
Synonyms: 5

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

Obstinately in the wrong; stubborn; intractable.
Turned aside while against something, splitting off from a thing.
Wayward; vexing; contrary.

More examples

In context

Don't be so perverse!
But in the same sense are modern Nietzsche's screams against the perverse (diverted) diffusion of these elemental pleas to reason for “reasons,” for the reasons—and place—of our fall in nonsense.
Any man who succeeds in diverting the public taste, or in turning back a perverse stream which will flow in the direction of the ditch, leaves a mark, as it were, and cannot be overlooked by posterity.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Despite the clear evidence, he remained blank and refused to admit his mistake.

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Nearby

Citations

The word in print, with each source given in full.

Any man who succeeds in diverting the public taste, or in turning back a perverse stream which will flow in the direction of the ditch, leaves a mark, as it were, and cannot be overlooked by posterity.
1872, The Gentleman's Magazine - Volume 232, page 367
But in the same sense are modern Nietzsche's screams against the perverse (diverted) diffusion of these elemental pleas to reason for “reasons,” for the reasons—and place—of our fall in nonsense.
2008, Harrison Mujica-Jenkins, The Ninth Hour, page 221221
The diverted or perverse way is also not an easy path to walk. It is rightly called “crooked” and “twisting.”
2013, Robert Saucy, Minding the Heart: The Way of Spiritual Transformation
Looking at Barbara one would have considerable difficulty detecting a perverse side to her nature. Her expression was demure, shy, and apprehensive. But she recognized the demonic aspect of her personality and admitted it. I felt most alive when I felt most perverse. At college, sleeping with boys had a perverse quality. I slept with a boy friend of one of my girl friends, and I was proud of it. I bragged about it because I had done something perverse. Another time, I slept with a man, fat and ugly, who paid me for it. I was very proud. I felt I had the ability to do something different.
1967, Alexander Lowen, The Betrayal of the Body, U.S.A.: Macmillan Publishing Company, published 1969, page 13
[The researchers] noticed many of their pieces of [plastic marine] debris sported surface pits around two microns across.[…]Closer examination showed that some of these pits did, indeed, contain bacteria, and that in several cases these bacteria were dividing and thus, by the perverse arithmetic of biological terminology, multiplying.
2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845

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Origin

adjective

From Middle English perverse, pervers, from Old French pervers, from Latin perversum (“thoroughly turned”), past participle of pervertere, from per- (“thoroughly”) + vertere (“to turn”).

Deep Dive

adjective

More examples

Related

Quick test

Despite the clear evidence, he remained blank— and refused to admit his mistake.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

Despite the clear evidence, he remained blank and refused to admit his mistake.