Link Centre Dictionary

perfect

per·fect

UK/pəˈfɛkt/ US/pɚˈfɛkt/ very common
adjective (3) verb (1) noun (1)

adjective

1.

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

  • “a perfect circle”
  • “a perfect reproduction”
  • “perfect happiness”
  • “perfect manners”
  • “a perfect specimen”
  • “a perfect day”
Antonyms
Similar
2.

without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers

  • “an arrant fool”
  • “a complete coward”
  • “a consummate fool”
  • “a double-dyed villain”
  • “gross negligence”
  • “a perfect idiot”
  • “pure folly”
  • “what a sodding mess”
  • “stark staring mad”
  • “a thoroughgoing villain”
  • “utter nonsense”
  • “the unadulterated truth”
Synonyms
Similar
3.

precisely accurate or exact

  • “perfect timing”
Similar

verb

1.

make perfect or complete

  • “perfect your French in Paris!”
Synonyms

noun

1.

a tense of verbs used in describing action that has been completed (sometimes regarded as perfective aspect)

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English perfit, from Old French parfit (modern: parfait), from Latin perfectus, perfect passive participle of perficere (“to finish”), from per- (“through, thorough”) + facere (“to do, to make”). The spelling was modified in the 15th century to conform to its Latin etymon. Doublet of parfait, perfecto, and perfectus. Displaced native Old English fulfremed.

Phrases

  • conditional perfect
  • frame perfect
  • future perfect continuous
  • future perfect progressive
  • let the perfect be the enemy of the good
  • letter perfect
  • make the perfect the enemy of the good
  • most-perfect magic square

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

See also

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.