different between perverse vs labyrinthine

English

Etymology

From Old French pervers, from Latin perversum, past participle of pervertere > per- 'thoroughly' + vertere 'to turn'. So, "thoroughly turned".

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /p??v?s/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /p??v??s/
• Hyphenation: per?verse
• Rhymes: -??(?)s

Adjective

perverse (comparative more perverse or perverser, superlative most perverse or perversest)

1. Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away from the (morally) right; willfully erring; wicked; perverted.

   •     I felt most alive when I felt most perverse. At college, sleeping with boys had a perverse quality. I slept with a boy friend of one of my girl friends, and I was proud of it. I bragged about it because I had done something perverse. Another time, I slept with a man, fat and ugly, who paid me for it. I was very proud. I felt I had the ability to do something different.

2. Obstinately in the wrong; stubborn; intractable; hence, wayward; vexing; contrary.
3. (law, of a verdict) Ignoring the evidence or the judge's opinions.

Antonyms

• docile
• innocent

Derived terms

• perversely
• perverseness
• perversity

Translations

Anagrams

• persever, preserve

Dutch

Pronunciation

Adjective

perverse

1. Inflected form of pervers

French

Adjective

perverse

1. feminine singular of pervers

Anagrams

• préserve, préservé

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

perverse

1. inflection of pervers:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Adjective

perverse

1. feminine plural of perverso

Latin

Participle

perverse

1. vocative masculine singular of perversus

References

• perverse in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• perverse in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• perverse in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

English

Etymology

From labyrinth +? -ine.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /læb.????n.??n/, /læb.????n.?in/, /læb.????n.?a?n/
• ,

Adjective

labyrinthine (comparative more labyrinthine, superlative most labyrinthine)

1. Physically resembling a labyrinth; with the qualities of a maze.
   • 1996, Steen L. Jensen, H. Gregerson. M. H. Shokouh-Amin, F. G. Moody, (eds.), Essentials of Experimental Surgery: Gastroenterology, page 27/4

     In the pyloric canal, muscular ridges are more fixed than elsewhere and produce quite a labyrinthine surface.

   • 2011, Lincoln Child, Deep Storm, page 185

     Crane trotted along the labyrinthine corridors of deck 3, accompanied by a young marine with close-cropped blond hair.

2. (anatomy) Relating to the labyrinth of the ear
3. (figuratively) Convoluted, baffling, confusing, perplexing.
   • 2000, Joseph J. Ellis, Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, page 51

     Any attempt to answer that question would carry us into the labyrinthine corridors of Jefferson's famously elusive mind.

   • 2005, Michael W. Riley, "Plato's Cratylus: Argument, form, and structure", page 103

     By coupling "essence" with "name" within a series of contraposed pairs of names, Socrates indicates the point to which he thinks his labyrinthine argument has led so far in the Cratylus.

Synonyms

• (resembling a labyrinth): labyrinthal, labyrinthial, labyrinthian, labyrinthic, labyrinthical, labyrinthiform
• (twisting, convoluted): baffling, confusing, convoluted

Related terms

Translations