C2adjectiveemotionssociety
US/pərˈvɜːrs/
UK/pəˈvɜːs/
strange and unreasonable, often doing the opposite of what is expected or wanted
In context
He takes a perverse pleasure in arguing with everyone at dinner.
It seems perverse to cut the health budget during a pandemic.
In a perverse way, losing my job was the best thing that happened to me.
Words that go with perverse
adjective + noun
- perverse pleasureI get a perverse pleasure from cleaning the whole house on Sundays.
- perverse incentiveThe bonus system created a perverse incentive to take risks.
- perverse effectThe new tax had the perverse effect of reducing government income.
- perverse satisfactionShe felt a perverse satisfaction when her rival's plan failed.
- perverse logicBy some perverse logic, the faster we work, the more work we get.
adverb + adjective
- rather perverseIt seems rather perverse to buy a sports car and never drive it.