pervert

[ verb per-vurt; noun pur-vert ]

See synonyms for pervert on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to affect with perversion.
to lead astray morally.

to turn away from the right course.
to lead into mental error or false judgment.
to turn to an improper use; misapply.
to misconstrue or misinterpret, especially deliberately; distort: to pervert someone's statement.
to bring to a less excellent state; vitiate; debase.
Pathology. to change to what is unnatural or abnormal.
to convert or persuade to a religious belief regarded as false or wrong.

noun

a person who practices sexual perversion.
Pathology. a person affected with perversion.

a person who has been perverted, or turned from what is right, especially to a religious belief regarded as erroneous.

Origin of pervert

First recorded in 1300–50; (for the verb) Middle English perverten, from Latin pervertere “to overturn, subvert,” from per- per- + vertere “to turn”; (for the noun) noun use of obsolete pervert “perverted”

Other words for pervert

2	seduce, corrupt, demoralize
3	divert
4	mislead, misguide
7	pollute, defile; impair, degrade

See synonyms for pervert on Thesaurus.com

Other words from pervert

per·vert·er, noun
per·vert·i·ble, adjective
per·vert·i·bil·i·ty, noun
per·vert·i·bly, adverb
non·per·vert·i·ble, adjective

Words Nearby pervert

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pervert in a sentence

While her new boss wasn’t a pervert, he wasn’t interested in giving her the promotion she deserved—or the leather jacket that all SREs were promised but was only given to the men.
The True Story Behind Showtime’s Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber | Shannon Carlin | February 27, 2022 | Time
Her first brush with a subway pervert was as a teen, when she was riding home from high school and “someone was, uh, pleasuring themselves,” she says, raising her eyebrows.
A Woman Has Never Run New York City. Can Kathryn Garcia Change That? | Charlotte Alter | May 27, 2021 | Time
We will not be held responsible for the actions of four indicted people who decided to pervert the legislative process for their own personal gain.
Can This Millennial Power Broker Lead an Ohio Comeback for Democrats? | Nick Fouriezos | September 10, 2020 | Ozy
The All Quiet on the pervert Front has led photo-sharers on Reddit and 4chan to declare “The Fappening” dead.
‘The Fappening’ Is Dead: From A-List Hacking Victims to D-Listers Accused of Leaking Nudes For PR | Marlow Stern | October 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In keeping with the raucous nature of his tabloid scandal, one person shouted “pervert!”
Weiner’s Last Words | Howard Kurtz | June 16, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for pervert

pervert

verb(pəˈvɜːt) (tr)

to use wrongly or badly
to interpret wrongly or badly; distort

to lead into deviant or perverted beliefs or behaviour; corrupt
to debase

noun(ˈpɜːvɜːt)

a person who practises sexual perversion

Origin of pervert

C14: from Old French pervertir, from Latin pervertere to turn the wrong way, from per- (indicating deviation) + vertere to turn

Derived forms of pervert

perverter, noun
pervertible, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Browse