perversely

American  

[per-vurs-lee] / pərˈvɜrs li /

adverb

1. 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.

2. 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

She’s taken, perversely, with John the Baptist, imprisoned in a cistern and prophesying doom for the decadent, Godless heathens, Salome in particular.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

Aggrievement and isolation, perversely enough, became the glue that holds the community together.

From Salon • Nov. 22, 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

But perversely, Bird says, the regulatory focus on banks has led to even more money being lent against land, because it is perceived as safe.

From Slate • Nov. 4, 2025

I found myself unconsciously urging the spacecraft at least to stand on its tiptoes, as if this laboratory, designed for immobility, were perversely refusing to manage even a little hop.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan