pervert
Other forms: perverted; perverting; perverts
To pervert something is to corrupt it. For example, you could "pervert the course of justice" by lying on the witness stand.
Another common use of pervert is as a word for a person who is sexually deviant; however, people also use this word more loosely to describe anyone who seems creepy. Perverting also means changing or subverting something. A cop who breaks the law is perverting the law. A criminal who convinces other people to become criminals is perverting them. So when you think of pervert, think change — change for the worse.
Definitions of pervert
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corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
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synonyms:
corrupt, debase, debauch, demoralise, demoralize, deprave, misdirect, profane, subvert, vitiate
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types:
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carnalise, carnalize, sensualise, sensualize
debase through carnal gratification
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infect
corrupt with ideas or an ideology
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lead astray, lead off
teach immoral behavior to
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poison
spoil as if by poison
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bastardise, bastardize
change something so that its value declines; for example, art forms
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suborn
incite to commit a crime or an evil deed
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change the inherent purpose or function of something
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practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive
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synonyms:
convolute, sophisticate, twist, twist around
Definitions of pervert
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a person whose behavior deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behavior
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synonyms:
degenerate, deviant, deviate
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types:
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fetishist
one who engages in fetishism (especially of a sexual nature)
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masochist
someone who obtains pleasure from receiving punishment
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nympho, nymphomaniac
a woman with abnormal sexual desires
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child molester, paederast, pederast
a man who has sex (usually sodomy) with a boy as the passive partner
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paedophile
an adult who is sexually attracted to children
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sadist
someone who obtains pleasure from inflicting pain on others
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sadomasochist
someone who enjoys both sadism and masochism
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lech, lecher, letch, satyr
man with strong sexual desires
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flagellant
a person who is whipped or whips himself for sexual gratification
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘pervert'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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