Meaning & use
pervy person
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Meanings
phrasecountableinformaldisapproving
Someone whose sexual interest in others is seen as strange, creepy, or inappropriate.
Grammar: Countable phrase: you can say 'a pervy person' or 'pervy people' (plural).
Patterns
- a pervy person
- call someone a pervy person
She avoided the man at the bus stop because he acted like a pervy person.
The film's villain is written as a pervy person who spies on his neighbors.
Calling someone a pervy person is a serious insult, so use it carefully.
phrasecountablehumorousinformal
Used jokingly for someone with an unusually strong or odd interest in something, not necessarily sexual.
Grammar: Often used in a light, teasing way among friends, but can still offend.
Patterns
- a pervy person about something
He keeps zooming into photos of cars — what a pervy person!
My friends call me a pervy person because I stare at people's shoes.
Word forms
| plural | pervy people |
|---|
Common combinations
- a total pervy person
- Everyone at the party thought he was a total pervy person.
- act like a pervy person
- Stop acting like a pervy person and give her some space.
- come across as a pervy person
- His staring made him come across as a pervy person.
- be called a pervy person
- He was called a pervy person after the comments he made.
Synonyms and how they differ
- creep
- 'Creep' is a noun and is broader; it can mean anyone strange or unpleasant, not only someone with odd sexual behavior.
- letch
- 'Letch' is an older, more strongly disapproving word for a man who shows unwanted sexual interest.
- sleaze
- 'Sleaze' suggests dishonest or immoral behavior generally, while 'pervy person' focuses on creepy sexual interest.
Word family
Commonly confused: pervy person or perverse?
pervy person vs perverse
'Perverse' means deliberately contrary or unreasonable, not sexually creepy; the two words sound similar but mean different things.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pervy person' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Pervy person' describes someone whose sexual interest seems creepy or inappropriate, so it fits the staring example. The other options describe ordinary, positive behavior, which does not match the word's disapproving meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pervy person”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.