perverse means turned aside while against something, splitting off from a thing. It carries an Arena rating of 1817, earned across 9 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, perverse ranks #75 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #1,289 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #1,954 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,726 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
perverse is pronounced /pɚˈvɝs/.
Why “perverse” is a great word
A stubborn inclination to act contrary to what is expected, reasonable, or morally right. From Middle English *perverse*, *pervers*, from Old French *pervers*, from Latin *perversus*, past participle of *pervertere* ("to overturn, corrupt"), from *per-* ("thoroughly") + *vertere* ("to turn"). Unlike "contrary," which suggests a mild opposition, or "wayward," which implies a capricious straying, "perverse" is a deliberate, often corrupt refusal to conform. It is the warmth of a hand pulled sharply from yours when comfort was offered, the scholar distorting evidence to prove an absurdity, the quiet insistence of a door closing when every hinge creaks in protest—a willful turning against the grain, finding in corruption its own, lonely vindication.
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”).
adj
- Turned aside while against something, splitting off from a thing.
- Morally wrong or evil; wicked; perverted.
- Obstinately in the wrong; stubborn; intractable.
- Wayward; vexing; contrary.
- Ignoring the evidence or the judge's opinions.
noun
- A chiral opposite of something; a mirror image with opposite handedness.
verb
- To pervert.e.g.“This rule hath been always for the commodity of that kingdom, where as the powers have been thus by them perversed.” — 1545, John Bale, Image of Both Churches:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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