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per·verse
 perverse
- pronunciation:
- p
 r
vuhrs
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| definition 1: |
stubbornly opposed to what is expected or requested of one, or marked by or inclined toward such an attitude.
Knowing how perverse he can be, I'm not surprised he refused to wear a tie to the funeral.She seems to take perverse pleasure in disappointing her parents.- synonyms:
- contrary, willful, wrongheaded
- antonyms:
- accommodating, cooperative
- similar words:
- balky, contumacious, cross-grained, headstrong, intransigent, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, pigheaded, rebellious, stubborn
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| definition 2: |
stubbornly directed toward wickedness or evil; corrupt or sinful.
The leader treated his people with perverse cruelty.- synonyms:
- aberrant, depraved, perverted
- similar words:
- corrupt, deviant, evil, iniquitous, profligate, queer, wanton, wicked
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| definition 3: |
irritable or peevish.
He didn't sleep well last night, so he's liable to be perverse this morning.- synonyms:
- cantankerous, irritable, peevish, petulant
- similar words:
- atrabilious, bad-tempered, cranky, cross, grouchy, huffy, irascible, quarrelsome, querulous, short-tempered, splenetic, sulky, testy, touchy
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| related words: |
contradictory, difficult, disobedient, perverted, thwart, wayward |
| derivations: |
perversely (adv.), perverseness (n.) |
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