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Definition of perverse - 5 dictionary results

per⋅verse

[per-vurs]
–adjective
1. willfully determined or disposed to go counter to what is expected or desired; contrary.
2. characterized by or proceeding from such a determination or disposition: a perverse mood.
3. wayward or cantankerous.
4. persistent or obstinate in what is wrong.
5. turned away from or rejecting what is right, good, or proper; wicked or corrupt.

Origin:
1325–75; ME < L perversus facing the wrong way, askew, orig. ptp. of pervertere. See pervert


per⋅verse⋅ly, adverb
per⋅verse⋅ness, noun


1. contumacious, disobedient. 4. stubborn, headstrong. See willful. 5. evil, bad, sinful.


1. agreeable. 4. tractable.
per·verse   (pər-vûrs', pûr'vûrs')   
adj.  
  1. Directed away from what is right or good; perverted.
  2. Obstinately persisting in an error or fault; wrongly self-willed or stubborn.
    1. Marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict.
    2. Arising from such a disposition.
  3. Cranky; peevish.

[Middle English pervers, from Old French, from Latin perversus, past participle of pervertere, to pervert; see pervert.]
per·verse'ly adv., per·verse'ness n.

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 only righteous in a word perverse. --Milton.

2. Obstinate in the wrong; stubborn; intractable; hence, wayward; vexing; contrary.

To so perverse a sex all grace is vain. --Dryden.

Syn: Froward; untoward; wayward; stubborn; ungovernable; intractable; cross; petulant; vexatious.

Usage: Perverse, Froward. One who is froward is capricious, and reluctant to obey. One who is perverse has a settled obstinacy of will, and likes or dislikes by the rule of contradiction to the will of others.
Language Translation for : perverse
Spanish: terco, obstinado,
German: verstockt,
Japanese: ひねくれた

perverse 
c.1369, "wicked," from O.Fr. pervers, from L. perversus "turned away (from what is right), contrary, askew," pp. of pervertere "to corrupt" (see pervert). The L. word is glossed in O.E. by forcerred, from p.p. of forcyrran "to avoid," from cierran "to turn, return." Meaning "wrong, not in accord with what is accepted" is from c.1568; sense of "obstinate, stubborn" is from 1579. It keeps the non-sexual senses of pervert (v.) and allows the psychological ones to go with perverted.

Main Entry: per·verse
Pronunciation: p&r-'v&rs
Function: adjective
: being, relating to, or characterized by perversion <perversesexual behavior>
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