Perverse means deliberately doing the opposite of what is wanted. A perverse decision, perverse pleasure, perversely satisfying.
The deliberateness is the point: a perverse choice is contrary on purpose, not by mistake. In economics and policy, a perverse incentive is one that rewards exactly the behaviour it meant to stop — a genuinely important idea with a long list of examples. In law, a perverse verdict is one no reasonable jury could reach. Note perversely, perversity; and pervert, which is the same word gone further.
1adjectiveperverseDeliberately doing the opposite of what is wanted.
“Out of perverse stubbornness, he wore shorts all winter because everyone told him not to.”
2adjectiveproducingProducing the opposite of the intended effect.
“Raising the tax had the perverse effect of reducing the money the government collected.”
perverse is a quality of contrariness.
The Latin is turned all the way round, the same turning in reverse. Perverse is turned away from the right thing on purpose.
hooks ontoreverse
Latin perversus means thoroughly turned, from per plus vertere, to turn. Convert, divert and version come from the same turning, so perverse is turned all the way round.
Proto-Indo-European
*wert-
Latin
perversum — thoroughly turned
Old French
pervers
Middle English
perverse
English, today
perverse
Built 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”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA