Meanings
subvert1
present singular third person subverts · participle present subverting · participle past subverted · past subverted
- transitiveTo overturn from the foundation; to overthrow; to ruin utterly.
, Book IV, Chapter XVIII This would be to subvert the principles and foundations of all knowledge.
1 more example
He […] razeth your cities, and subverts your towns.
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]Synonyms: devastate, erase, wreck, destroy, annihilate, aerosolize, atomize, benothing
- transitiveTo upturn convention from the foundation by undermining it (literally, to turn from beneath).
subvert2
plural subverts
- An advertisement created by subvertising.
Synonyms: subvertisement
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo overturn from the foundation; to overthrow; to ruin utterly.
verbTo pervert, as the mind, and turn it from the truth; to corrupt; to confound.
nounAn advertisement created by subvertising.
More synonyms by meaning
verbcorrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
verbdestroy property or hinder normal operations
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
subvert · verb
- Latinsubvertō“to overthrow”
- Old Frenchsubvertir
- Middle Englishsubverten
- Englishsubvert
From Middle English subverten, from Old French subvertir, from Latin subvertō (“to overthrow”, literally “to underturn, turn from beneath”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →subvert · noun
Back-formation from subvertising, by analogy with advert.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian катурвам, събарям
- катурвам (katurvam)to overthrow
- събарям (săbarjam)to overthrow
- развращавам (razvraštavam)to pervert the mind
- подривам (podrivam)to upturn convention by undermining it
Catalan subvertir
- subvertirto upturn convention by undermining it
Dutch omverwerpen, corrumperen
- omverwerpento overthrow
- corrumperento pervert the mind
- ondergravento upturn convention by undermining it
- protestreclameadvertisement created by subvertising
Finnish kumota, kukistaa
- kumotato overthrow
- kukistaato overthrow
- tuhotato pervert the mind
- horjuttaato pervert the mind
- mullistaato upturn convention by undermining it
- kumotato upturn convention by undermining it
- vastamainosadvertisement created by subvertising
French renverser
- renverserto overthrow
German stürzen, umstoßen
- stürzento overthrow
- umstoßento overthrow
- korrumpierento pervert the mind
- zerrüttento pervert the mind
- untergrabento upturn convention by undermining it
- unterlaufento upturn convention by undermining it
Hungarian megdönt, aláaknáz
- megdöntto overthrow
- aláaknázto upturn convention by undermining it
- felforgatto upturn convention by undermining it
- felbomlasztto upturn convention by undermining it
Irish suaith
- suaithto upturn convention by undermining it
Italian corrompere
- corrompereto pervert the mind
Latin subvertō, subvertō
- subvertōto overthrow
- subvertōto upturn convention by undermining it
Portuguese subverter, subverter
- subverterto overthrow
- subverterto pervert the mind
- subverterto upturn convention by undermining it
Russian сверга́ть, ниспроверга́ть
- сверга́ть (svergátʹ)to overthrow
- ниспроверга́ть (nisprovergátʹ)to overthrow
- развраща́ть (razvraščátʹ)to pervert the mind
- разруша́ть (razrušátʹ)to pervert the mind
- подрыва́ть (podryvátʹ)to upturn convention by undermining it
Spanish contrariar, subvertir
- contrariarto overthrow
- subvertirto pervert the mind
- subvertirto upturn convention by undermining it
Swedish omstörta, störta
- omstörtato overthrow
- störtato overthrow
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with subvert
Cite this entry
subvert. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subvert
“subvert.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subvert. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “subvert,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subvert.
Source: subvert on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.