perversely
Americanadverb
-
in a willful manner that goes counter to what is expected or desired; contrarily.
She clung perversely to beliefs and behavior that would confound her parents for years.
-
in an obstinate manner, rejecting what is right, good, or proper; wickedly or corruptly.
They perversely persist in the practice of torture.
Etymology
Origin of perversely
First recorded in 1500–20; perverse ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And David plays Lincoln’s nemesis, Stevie Nichols, the very successful former partner of Lincoln’s late mother, upon whom the son remains perversely fixated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026
Aggrievement and isolation, perversely enough, became the glue that holds the community together.
From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2025
It’s actually quite problematic that some perversely rich guys meddle in our affairs in their own way.
From Slate ● Nov. 19, 2025
So maybe it’s perversely apt that the Broadway revival of the musical “Chess” should feel eye-glazingly interminable, despite a cast of thrillingly good singers in top form.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 17, 2025
I bought a complete set of the Harvard Classics—chiefly because Bobby said we didn’t have room for them in our suite—and rather perversely read all fifty volumes.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
