pervert

From Old French pervertir, itself from the Latin pervertō.

• (noun)
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpəː.vəːt/, /ˈpəː.vət/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɚ.vɚt/
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)və(ɹ)t
• (verb)
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pəˈvəːt/

    • Audio (Southern England):

      (file)

  • (General American) IPA^(key): /pɚˈvɚt/
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)t

pervert (plural perverts)

1. (dated) One who has been perverted; one who has turned to error, or adopted a twisted sense of values or morals.
   • 1867, Stephen Elliott, Sermons, page 382:

     And yet it is not only tolerated, but perverts are making to it in England and this country, — perverts among the intelligent and the learned. For these things, which I have quoted, are not accusations made in a corner, but have been published in the face of the world by one of the profoundest theologians of the day, and challenge confutation.

   • 1925, The Dalhousie Review, volume 5, page 115:

     […] a religious pervert is ever a doubtful product. One separated from the fellows of his youth and the faith of his fathers, by acceptance of a different religion, is of necessity more or less adrift on the sea of life […]

   • 2001, Ismāʻīl Salāmī, Islamic Views on Human Rights: Viewpoints of Iranian Scholars, page 128:

     According to the Holy Qur'an, those who cast off God's signs and follow Satan and their caprice are perverts; they are likened to dogs […]

2. A person whose sexual habits are not considered acceptable.

   Synonym: (slang) perv

   Antonym: normophile

   Those perverts were trying to spy on us while we changed clothes!

   • 1951 July 16, J[erome] D[avid] Salinger, chapter 24, in The Catcher in the Rye, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company, →OCLC:

     I know more damn perverts, at schools and all, than anybody you ever met, and they're always being perverty when I'm around.

• In contemporary usage, pervert is usually understood to refer to a sexually perverted person or anyone who seems creepy. Traditionally, the word was mainly associated with persons of false religious beliefs.

• perverty
• tervert

pervert (third-person singular simple present perverts, present participle perverting, simple past and past participle perverted)

1. (transitive) To turn another way; to divert.

   Synonyms: divert, steer, veer

   • 1623, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline:

     Let's follow him, and pervert the present wrath.

2. (transitive) To corrupt; to cause to be untrue; corrupted or otherwise impure

   Synonyms: corrupt, lead astray

   How could stopping someone from killing himself or herself "pervert the course of justice"?

   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost:

     He, in the serpent, had perverted Eve.

   • 1690, “The Preface to the Reader”, in A Full and True Relation of the Great and Wonderful Revolution That Hapned Lately in the Kingdom of Siam in the East-Indies, London: Randal Taylor, page vi:

     He was a good Proteſtant, but when he fell into the Jeſuits hands, they ſoon perverted him, and made him embrace the Roman Catholick Religion […]

   • 2004 April 15, “Morning swoop in hunt for Jodi's killer”, in The Scotsman‎^[1]:

     A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "We can confirm that a 15-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in connection with the murder of Jodi Jones. A 45-year-old has also been arrested in connection with allegations of attempting to pervert the course of justice. A report on this has been sent to the procurator fiscal."

3. To misapply, misuse, use for a nefarious purpose

   Synonyms: misapply, misuse

   He has perverted his talents to dishonest gain.

4. to misinterpret designedly.

   Synonym: twist

   pervert one's words

5. (intransitive) To become perverted; to take the wrong course.
   • c. 1384, Thomas Usk, The Testament of Love:

     After that worde, "better is it to dey than lyve false," and al wolde perverted people false reporte make

• perverse
• perversion

• prevert, vertrep

Borrowed from English pervert.

pervert m (genitive singular perverts, nominative plural pervertar)

1. pervert

   Synonyms: perri, öfuguggi