From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpervertper‧vert1 /pəˈvɜːt $ pərˈvɜːrt/ verb [transitive] 1 HARM/BE BAD FORto change something in an unnatural and often harmful way Genetic scientists are often accused of perverting nature.2 BAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONSto influence someone so that they begin to think or behave in an immoral way SYN corrupt TV violence perverts the minds of young children.3 → pervert the course of justice→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
pervert• It was no wonder that he felt heartsick over the purposes to which the glorious ship was perverted.• I hope every driver who got stabbed by this perverted human being has a speedy recovery.• The friend, Ted Francis, denies perverting the course of justice.• Negative advertising is perverting the democratic process.• TV sex and violence perverts the minds of young children.• During 20 years of perverted worship, I wallowed in the futility of hedonism.pervertper‧vert2 /ˈpɜːvɜːt $ ˈpɜːrvɜːrt/ noun [countable] SYsomeone whose sexual behaviour is considered unnatural and unacceptableExamples from the Corpus
pervert• She took him to court, accusing him of being a pervert who was unfit to raise a child.• You don't know what a pervert is, I suppose.• It provides cheap entertainment for illiterate people and perverts.• For it was known that the Green, and other parts in the city, were the haunts of peeping-Toms and perverts.• His role of mutant son extended itself to incorporate pervert as well.• What are you, some kind of pervert?• Clive thought she might be a rare type of pervert who gets off on vociferously condemning all the vices she actually practises.• The sentences meted out to the seven perverts who downloaded pornographic images of children as young as three months were laughable.• He was going to take them to court, declare them perverts, unfit to raise a child.Origin pervert1 (1300-1400) Old French pervertir, from Latin pervertere, from vertere “to turn” 