perverse
per·verse/pɚˈvɝs/adjective
perverse is spelled P-E-R-V-E-R-S-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables (per·verse). It appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,651st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, perverse means “Turned aside while against something, splitting off from a thing” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in perverse?
| Letters | 8: P-E-R-V-E-R-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: per·verse |
| In writing | 1.5 times per million words; the 22,651st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is perverse?
Perverse appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,651st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce perverse?
- US /pɚˈvɝs/
- UK /pəˈvɜːs/
Perverse has 2 syllables, split per·verse in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Mélange_a_trois-perverse.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with perverse?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as perverse from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹs/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: preserve.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of perverse
- more perverse comparative
- perverser comparative
- most perverse superlative
- perversest superlative
- perverses present, singular, he/she/it
- perversing participle, present
- perversed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does perverse mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Turned aside while against something, splitting off from a thing.
- 2
Morally wrong or evil; wicked; perverted.
- 3
Obstinately in the wrong; stubborn; intractable.
- 4
Wayward; vexing; contrary.
Where this perverse sign flip occurs depends on the values of other parameters […].
- 5
Ignoring the evidence or the judge's opinions.
noun
- 1
archaicA chiral opposite of something; a mirror image with opposite handedness.
verb
- 1
archaicnonstandardTo pervert.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Perverse in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does perverse come from?
From Middle English perverse, pervers, from Old French pervers, from Latin perversum (“thoroughly turned”), past participle of pervertere, from per- (“thoroughly”) + vertere (“to turn”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).