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.
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
Parris Island’s staff, perversely enough, represents the exact opposite of Barbara’s parenting style.
From Salon • Oct. 10, 2025
They were followed perversely by torrential rains in 1861, which drowned hundreds of head.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025
In the darkness their feet felt that they were going downhill, and each privately and perversely accused the other of taking, deliberately, a path they had followed together once before in happiness.
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
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.
