perverted

adjective

per·​vert·​ed pər-ˈvər-təd How to pronounce perverted (audio)
1
2
: marked by perversion
pervertedly adverb
pervertedness noun

Examples of perverted in a Sentence

He took a perverted pleasure in watching them suffer. the perverted values of a society that had taken permissiveness to the extreme
Recent Examples on the Web
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In a searing rebuttal days before the British socialite was convicted for procuring victims for Epstein’s abuse in December 2021, Comey spoke to the perverted duo’s reasons for targeting teens from disadvantaged backgrounds. Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 17 July 2025 Jeff is a bit of a voyeur or peeping Tom, though not in a perverted way. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025 These were the years in which capitalism shed its pitiless light on the absurd British soul, with its deep striations of caste and station, its postcolonial taint, most of all its perverted emotional core, full of love and loathing for its own extremes of domination and servitude. Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025 But, even at its most perverted, Shadow of the Erdtree handles motherhood like nuclear energy. Ashley Bardhan, Vulture, 5 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for perverted

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of perverted was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Perverted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perverted. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

perverted

adjective
per·​vert·​ed pər-ˈvərt-əd How to pronounce perverted (audio)
: marked by perversion

Medical Definition

perverted

adjective
: marked by abnormality or perversion
perverted pancreatic function
relieve concepts or fears of perverted sexual interestW. H. Masters & V. E. Johnson

More from Merriam-Webster on perverted

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