perverse
UK /pəˈvɜːs/ · US /pɚˈvɝs/ adjective, noun, verb
Forms perverser perversest perverses perversing perversed
- adjective Turned aside while against something, splitting off from a thing.
- adjective Morally wrong or evil; wicked; perverted.
- adjective Obstinately in the wrong; stubborn; intractable.
- adjective Wayward; vexing; contrary.
- adjective (law, of a verdict) Ignoring the evidence or the judge's opinions.
- noun (geometry) A chiral opposite of something; a mirror image with opposite handedness.
- verb (nonstandard) To pervert.
Synonyms
contrary cross froward intractable petulant stubborn ungovernable untoward vexatious vexing wayward obstinate depraved perverted reprobate
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English perverse, pervers, from Old French pervers, from Latin perversum (“thoroughly turned”), past participle of pervertere, from per- (“thoroughly”) + vertere (“to turn”).
Webster’s 1913
- 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.
Etymology [L. perversus turned the wrong way, not right, p.p. of pervertereto turn around, to overturn: cf. F. pervers. See Pervert.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “perverse”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details