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perverseness

perverseness

1 8.4
Doing things on purpose that are wrong or against what others expect
  • noun
  • /pərˈvɜrsnəs/
translation icon : perversidad
  • His decision to ignore the obvious solution was a clear example of perverseness in his reasoning.

Examples

  • Royce's apple, however, is "rotten," perhaps connoting the perverseness, the Blackness, of the knowledge he now possesses.

    Academic text (2016)
  • The truth is... there's been perverseness and wilfulness of attitude in many of the things you've done.

  • What do you suppose it is, perverseness of human nature or what?

  • Thus, the government option will be simply another PPO, with all of its perverseness, competing in a market of private plans.

    Blog text (13)
  • "The integrity of the upright shall guide them... but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them."

  • Hypocrisy is a perverseness that extremely pleases the souls of unrepentant people.

    Blog text (23)
  • Broaching subjects like murder, perverseness, revenge, and psychological problems—these were the new exciting stories that Poe churned out.

    Blog text (34)
  • And the perverseness of the lens of memory undoubtedly decreased the images, cheapened them so that any baggage of mental souvenirs, any romanticized contraband for the unknown life that lay ahead, ended up being confiscated.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The child's perverseness in refusing to follow simple instructions baffled the teacher.

  • Despite being warned about the consequences, she showed a strange perverseness by continuing with her plan.

Synonyms

perversity
vsperverseness
9 8.6

To do things on purpose that are wrong or go against what others expect

is the same in meaning but is an alternative noun form
contrariness
vsperverseness
1 7.7

A habit where someone does the opposite of what others want on purpose

focuses more on wrong or improper acts rather than opposition to people

Antonyms

34 5.4

Clear thinking and decisions based on facts and logic

24 4.8

A state of behaving and thinking like most people or like rules say

How Contrary

perverseness
1 8.4
contrariness
1 7.7
obstinacy
3 7.6

Surface Forms

perverseness singular

Morphology

perverseness = perverse (transparent) = perverse + ness

The word is formed by adding the suffix '-ness' to 'perverse', clearly indicating the state or quality of being perverse.

Etymology

Perverseness comes from Latin parts per- and vers, which together meant 'turned the wrong way' and the root vers means 'to turn', as in reverse. So, perverseness is like being 'turned away' from what is right or expected, which explains its meaning of doing things that are unreasonable or against what others expect.