DictionaryAI

pervert

SayPUR-vurtUS/ˈpɚ.vɚt//ˈpəː.vəːt/
As a verbpur-VURT

Pluralperverts

Verbperverts, perverting, perverted

6 meanings of pervert

Practice

  1. 1
    creepnounderogatorycountable
    A person who behaves in sexual ways that people think are wrong.

    My mom told me to block the pervert who kept sending me strange messages online.

    Staff at the pool called him a pervert after catching him taking secret photos of swimmers.

    UsageSay PER-vert for this word and per-VERT for the verb.

    Similarperv

    Note
  2. 2
    verbtransitive
    To spoil or misuse something, or lead someone into bad ways, so it is no longer right, honest, or fair.

    Power and money slowly perverted his good intentions.

    He went to jail for trying to pervert the course of justice by paying a witness to lie.

    UsageOften in pervert the course of justice.

    Similarcorrupt, subvert, distort, warp, debase

    Note
  3. 3
    twist wordsverbtransitive
    To give a false meaning to something on purpose, such as someone's words.

    Please don't pervert my words. I never said I hated the plan.

    Her brother perverted the joke so that it sounded like a mean insult.

    Similartwist

  4. 4
    verbintransitive
    To become bad or wrong, or to go the wrong way.
    After that worde, "better is it to dey than lyve false," and al wolde perverted people false reporte make
    c. 1384, Thomas Usk, The Testament of LoveHere, perverted means gone wrong or turned bad, so corrupted people.

    Similardegenerate

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 5
    person gone astraynoundatedcountable
    A person who has turned to wrong beliefs or a twisted sense of right and wrong.

    Similarapostate, renegade, degenerate

    Note
  2. 6
    verbobsoletetransitive
    To make something turn and go a different way.
    Let's follow him, and pervert the present wrath.
    1623, William Shakespeare, CymbelineHere, pervert means turn aside, so steer his anger in another direction.

    Similardivert, steer

    Note

Practice

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Origin

From Old French, which came from a Latin word.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts