perverse
adjective
per·verse (ˌ)pər-ˈvərs 
ˈpər-ˌvərs
1
a
: turned away from what is right or good : corrupt
b
: improper, incorrect
c
: contrary to the evidence or the direction of the judge on a point of law
perverse verdict
2
a
: obstinate in opposing what is right, reasonable, or accepted : wrongheaded
b
: arising from or indicative of stubbornness or obstinacy
3
: marked by peevishness or petulance : cranky
4
: marked by perversion
perversely adverb
perverseness noun
perversity
pər-ˈvər-sə-tē
noun -stē
Synonyms
- choleric
- crabby
- cranky
- cross
- crotchety
- fiery
- grouchy
- grumpy
- irascible
- irritable
- peevish
- pettish
- petulant
- prickly
- quick-tempered
- raspy
- ratty
- short-tempered
- snappish
- snappy
- snarky
- snippety
- snippy
- stuffy
- testy
- waspish
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
their perverse cruelty to animals She has a perverse fascination with death. He seems to take perverse pleasure in making things as difficult as possible. His friends all enjoy his perverse sense of humor. Is this some kind of perverse joke?
Recent Examples on the Web If the popularity stems simply from riding the platform’s unending waves of drama and perverse incentives, scepticism should be applied. 
WIRED, 8 Sep. 2022 This will drive some perverse incentives in the market as VCs look to protect inflated valuations by being willing to accept more structure in mid/late-stage deals for preserving a high headline valuation. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2022 But none of that would have had the same effect were it not for Michael Nyman’s propulsive scores, which draw the viewer into the peculiar, perverse and uniquely obsessive Greenaway universe. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2022 During the trial, eight Jane Does and two John Does — among over 40 witnesses brought by prosecutors — recounted sadistic and perverse experiences involving Kelly, now 55, as well as witnessing abuse inflicted on others. Marc Schneider, Billboard, 29 June 2022 Misguided monetary policy, by contrast, operates invisibly, dispersing perverse incentives and false signals throughout the financial system. Adam Rowe, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 So, if the corporate minimum tax did create perverse incentives to change those statements, that of course would not be a great thing. Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 Critics say that creates a perverse incentive: a reason for the watchdog not to bark. David A. Fahrenthold, chicagotribune.com, 8 Mar. 2022 Mandating subsidized, low-income housing has the perverse effect of limiting production and increasing costs on all other housing built. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2022 See More
WIRED, 8 Sep. 2022 This will drive some perverse incentives in the market as VCs look to protect inflated valuations by being willing to accept more structure in mid/late-stage deals for preserving a high headline valuation. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2022 But none of that would have had the same effect were it not for Michael Nyman’s propulsive scores, which draw the viewer into the peculiar, perverse and uniquely obsessive Greenaway universe. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2022 During the trial, eight Jane Does and two John Does — among over 40 witnesses brought by prosecutors — recounted sadistic and perverse experiences involving Kelly, now 55, as well as witnessing abuse inflicted on others. Marc Schneider, Billboard, 29 June 2022 Misguided monetary policy, by contrast, operates invisibly, dispersing perverse incentives and false signals throughout the financial system. Adam Rowe, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 So, if the corporate minimum tax did create perverse incentives to change those statements, that of course would not be a great thing. Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 Critics say that creates a perverse incentive: a reason for the watchdog not to bark. David A. Fahrenthold, chicagotribune.com, 8 Mar. 2022 Mandating subsidized, low-income housing has the perverse effect of limiting production and increasing costs on all other housing built. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French purvers, pervers, from Latin perversus, from past participle of pervertere
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing perverse
Kids Definition
perverse
adjective
per·verse pər-ˈvərs
1
: stubborn in being against what is right or sensible
2
: wrong especially in a way that is strange or offensive
Medical Definition
perverse
adjective
per·verse pər-ˈvərs
: being, relating to, or characterized by perversion
perverse sexual behavior
perverse
adjective
1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed how can you be so cheerful one day, and so perverse the next? Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- irritable
- fiery
- peevish
- petulant
- irascible
- waspish
- passionate
- grouchy
- snarky
- crotchety
- pettish
- choleric
- testy
- cross
- disagreeable
- snappish
- short
- grumpy
- raspy
- sensitive
- stuffy
- crabby
- prickly
- contentious
- bellicose
- ratty
- bilious
- cantankerous
- dyspeptic
- cranky
- snippy
- truculent
- ornery
- curmudgeonly
- out of humor
- snippety
- querulous
- pugnacious
- argumentative
- belligerent
- snarly
- combative
- fretful
- quick-tempered
- out of sorts
- ill-humored
- short-tempered
- surly
- fractious
- quarrelsome
- bearish
- snappy
- disputatious
- cross-grained
- ill-natured
- off-color
- tetchy
- sullen
- sulky
- ill-tempered
- pouty
- off-colored
- scrappy
- touchy
- huffy
- hot-blooded
- thin-skinned
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sweet
- genial
- agreeable
- amiable
- friendly
- affable
- companionable
- cordial
- sociable
- extroverted
- outgoing
- gregarious
- extraverted
- carefree
- easygoing
- good-natured
- relaxed
- stoical
- tolerant
- obliging
- patient
- well-disposed
- stoic
- understanding
- uncomplaining
- forbearing
- good-tempered
- happy-go-lucky
- long-suffering
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 Synonyms & Similar Words
- corrupt
- degraded
- sick
- perverted
- depraved
- decadent
- crooked
- warped
- unwholesome
- debauched
- debased
- degenerate
- dissolute
- libertine
- vicious
- dishonest
- reprobate
- loose
- rakish
- immoral
- unclean
- wicked
- evil
- spoiled
- demoralized
- bad
- dissipated
- unprincipled
- unscrupulous
- unethical
- sinful
- bent
- rakehell
- cutthroat
- iniquitous
- nefarious
- rakehelly
- jackleg
- tainted
- contaminated
- miscreant
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- pure
- moral
- ethical
- virtuous
- righteous
- good
- honest
- incorruptible
- uncorrupt
- uncorrupted
- principled
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 Synonyms & Similar Words
- stubborn
- adamant
- wilful
- obsessive
- unrelenting
- uncompromising
- steadfast
- mulish
- intransigent
- willful
- implacable
- obdurate
- hardened
- obstinate
- unbending
- inflexible
- hard
- pertinacious
- unyielding
- strict
- persistent
- immovable
- hardheaded
- dogged
- pigheaded
- adamantine
- ossified
- opinionated
- headstrong
- relentless
- wrongheaded
- self-willed
- bullheaded
- hard-nosed
- determined
- inexorable
- inconvincible
- pat
- stiff-necked
- wayward
- rigid
- severe
- deaf to reason
- contrary
- self-opinionated
- defiant
- unflinching
- tenacious
- stern
- disobedient
- ungovernable
- cantankerous
- anal-retentive
- hidebound
- intractable
- iron
- mutinous
- uncooperative
- contumacious
- insubordinate
- unmanageable
- recalcitrant
- unruly
- resolved
- bloody-minded
- single-minded
- froward
- narrow-minded
- hell-bent
- exacting
- firm
- hard-line
- refractory
- demanding
- insurgent
- inveterate
- unconquerable
- invincible
- unregenerate
- set
- indomitable
- stouthearted
- confirmed
- hard-shelled
- hard-shell
- cussed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- agreeable
- amenable
- compliant
- acquiescent
- flexible
- pliant
- obedient
- complying
- pliable
- yielding
- docile
- tractable
- submissive
- receptive
- reasonable
- willing
- accepting
- placable
- slavish
- responsive
- relenting
- subservient
- temperate
- governable
- persuadable
- manageable
4
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation a convicted criminal seemed like a perverse choice for a bank employee Synonyms & Similar Words
- inappropriate
- improper
- unsuitable
- wrong
- incorrect
- unhappy
- unseemly
- unfortunate
- unfit
- incongruous
- irrelevant
- indecorous
- infelicitous
- unbecoming
- untoward
- inept
- graceless
- unacceptable
- bad
- inconsistent
- inapt
- amiss
- naughty
- inapposite
- awkward
- unapt
- malapropos
- sinful
- unseasonable
- untimely
- out of place
- immaterial
- inopportune
- incompatible
- extraneous
- out of the way
- uncongenial
- forbidden
- inapplicable
- irrelative
- mismatched
- censurable
- unsatisfactory
- blameworthy
- ungraceful
- proscribed
- blamable
- gauche
- prohibited
- barred
- disallowed
- outlawed
- banned
- interdicted
- misbecoming
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- appropriate
- proper
- suitable
- correct
- felicitous
- right
- fitting
- genteel
- relevant
- relative
- happy
- decorous
- timely
- becoming
- seemly
- meet
- fortunate
- congenial
- befitting
- applicable
- fit
- opportune
- apposite
- apt
- seasonable
- harmonious
- germane
- pointed
- material
- permitted
- compatible
- acceptable
- satisfactory
- pat
- adequate
- apropos
- sanctioned
- authorized
- fine
- tolerable
- respectable
- endorsed
- decent
- exemplary
- kosher
- approved
- okay
- creditable
- commendable
- promoted
- licensed
- allowed
- supported
- passable
- harmonious
- encouraged
- irreproachable
- all right
- blameless
- balanced
- indorsed
- consonant
- congruous
- abetted
- companionate
- OK
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of perverse are balky, contrary, restive, and wayward. While all these words mean "inclined to resist authority or control," perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal.
a perverse, intractable critic
Although the words balky and perverse have much in common, balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.
a balky witness
In some situations, the words contrary and perverse are roughly equivalent. However, contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.
a contrary child
The words restive and perverse can be used in similar contexts, but restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders.
tired soldiers growing restive
The synonyms wayward and perverse are sometimes interchangeable, but wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior.
a school for wayward youths