Perfect — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb noun /ˈpər-fikt/ (adjective) /pər-ˈfekt/ (verb) per·fect

Meaning & Definition of Perfect

Perfect (adjective)

  1. being entirely without fault or defect, flawless
  2. satisfying all requirements, accurate
  3. corresponding to an ideal standard or abstract concept

Perfect (verb)

  1. to bring to final form
  2. to make perfect, improve, refine

Perfect (noun)

  1. the perfect tense of a language; also, a verb form in the perfect tense

Perfect (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being entirely without fault or flaw

    "a stunningly perfect performance—not the slightest mistake—won her the gold medal in women's figure skating"

    similar: absolute, faultless, flawless, ideal, immaculate, impeccable, indefectible, irreproachable, letter-perfect, picture-book, picture-perfect, seamless, unblemished
    related: consummate, expert, masterly, classic, dandy, excellent, fabulous, fine, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, marvelous, prime, superb, superior, superlative, terrific, top, top-notch, unsurpassed, completed, finished, perfected, polished, complete, entire, intact, whole, mint, unbruised, undamaged, unimpaired, uninjured, unmarred, unspoiled, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, special, airtight, bulletproof, accurate, correct, exact, precise, inerrant, infallible, unerring, unfailing
    opposite: amiss, bad, censurable, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, reproachable
    near: deficient, inadequate, incomplete, insufficient, wanting, unfinished, unpolished, fallible, blemished, blighted, broken, damaged, defaced, disfigured, impaired, injured, malformed, marred, misshapen, spoiled, vitiated, atrocious, execrable, wretched, imprecise, inaccurate, incorrect, inexact, wrong

  2. having no exceptions or restrictions

    "living in perfect happiness in the country"

    similar: absolute, all-out, arrant, blank, blooming (chiefly British), bodacious (Southern & Midland), categorical, clean, complete, consummate, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, plumb, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, stone, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very
    related: authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable, constant, endless, eternal, perpetual, undying, unremitting, extreme, unrestricted, confirmed, habitual, hopeless, inveterate, extraordinary, frightful, horrible, huge, main, superlative, supreme, surpassing, terrible, terrific
    near: doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain

  3. not lacking any part or member that properly belongs to it

    "I have a perfect recollection of that conversation"

    similar: compleat, complete, comprehensive, entire, full, grand, intact, integral, plenary, total, whole
    related: unabridged, uncut, undiminished, all-out, exhaustive, extensive, maximal, full-blooded, full-blown, full-bore, full-fledged, full-on, full-out, full-scale
    opposite: imperfect, incomplete, partial
    near: abbreviated, abridged, cut, diminished, reduced

Perfect (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to bring (something) to a state where nothing remains to be done

    "perfected the arrangements for their long-awaited European vacation"

    similar: complete, consummate, finalize, finish, polish, get through
    related: follow through (with), stick out, accomplish, achieve, effect, carry out, carry through, discharge, do, execute, fulfill, perform, ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, machine, refine, round (off or out), shine, touch up
    near: abandon, desert, discontinue, drop, forsake, quit

  2. to make better

    "an art teacher who seems to believe that you can always perfect a painting with some additional brush strokes"

    similar: ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, enrich, help, improve, meliorate, refine, upgrade
    related: correct, emend, rectify, reform, remediate, remedy, edit, fine-tune, redraft, refurbish, rehab, rehabilitate, revamp, revise, rework, beef (up), boost, fortify, intensify, reinforce, strengthen, fine, hone, polish, retouch, touch up
    opposite: worsen
    near: damage, endamage, harm, hurt, impair, injure, spoil, tarnish, vitiate, blemish, blight, deface, disfigure, flaw, mar, diminish, lessen, lower, reduce

Related Entry: Letter-perfect (adjective)

Letter-perfect is a different word from Perfect. The synonyms below are for letter-perfect, not for perfect.

  1. being entirely without fault or flaw

    "the actress's recitation was letter-perfect"

    similar: absolute, faultless, flawless, ideal, immaculate, impeccable, indefectible, irreproachable, perfect, picture-book, picture-perfect, seamless, unblemished
    related: consummate, expert, masterly, classic, dandy, excellent, fabulous, fine, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, marvelous, prime, superb, superior, superlative, terrific, top, top-notch, unsurpassed, completed, finished, perfected, polished, complete, entire, intact, whole, mint, unbruised, undamaged, unimpaired, uninjured, unmarred, unspoiled, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, special, airtight, bulletproof, accurate, correct, exact, precise, inerrant, infallible, unerring, unfailing
    opposite: amiss, bad, censurable, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, reproachable
    near: deficient, inadequate, incomplete, insufficient, wanting, unfinished, unpolished, fallible, blemished, blighted, broken, damaged, defaced, disfigured, impaired, injured, malformed, marred, misshapen, spoiled, vitiated, atrocious, execrable, wretched, imprecise, inaccurate, incorrect, inexact, wrong

Related Entry: Picture-perfect (adjective)

Picture-perfect is a different word from Perfect. The synonyms below are for picture-perfect, not for perfect.

  1. being entirely without fault or flaw

    "it was a picture-perfect day for a picnic—the sun was shining and a light breeze stirred the air"

    similar: absolute, faultless, flawless, ideal, immaculate, impeccable, indefectible, irreproachable, letter-perfect, perfect, picture-book, seamless, unblemished
    related: consummate, expert, masterly, classic, dandy, excellent, fabulous, fine, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, marvelous, prime, superb, superior, superlative, terrific, top, top-notch, unsurpassed, completed, finished, perfected, polished, complete, entire, intact, whole, mint, unbruised, undamaged, unimpaired, uninjured, unmarred, unspoiled, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, special, airtight, bulletproof, accurate, correct, exact, precise, inerrant, infallible, unerring, unfailing
    opposite: amiss, bad, censurable, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, reproachable
    near: deficient, inadequate, incomplete, insufficient, wanting, unfinished, unpolished, fallible, blemished, blighted, broken, damaged, defaced, disfigured, impaired, injured, malformed, marred, misshapen, spoiled, vitiated, atrocious, execrable, wretched, imprecise, inaccurate, incorrect, inexact, wrong

Related Entry: Pitch-perfect (adjective)

Pitch-perfect is a different word from Perfect. The synonyms below are for pitch-perfect, not for perfect.

  1. having exactly the right tone or style

    "a pitch-perfect performance"

    similar: condign, deserved, just, justified, applicable, appropriate, apt, becoming, befitting, felicitous, fit, fitted, fitting, good, happy, meet, pretty, proper, right, suitable, needed, required, requisite, able, capable, competent, cut out, qualified, trained, acceptable, adequate, decent, kosher, satisfactory, serviceable, tolerable, correct, decorous, respectable, seemly, balanced, companionate, congruous, consonant, harmonious, rightful
    opposite: incapable, incompetent, inept, inexpert, unqualified, unskilled, unskillful, untrained, inadequate, intolerable, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, graceless, incorrect, indecorous, incompatible, uncongenial, improper, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, indecent, infelicitous, malapropos, misbecoming, unapt, unbecoming, unbeseeming, unfit, unfitting, unhappy, unmeet, unseemly, unsuitable, wrong

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Perfect

The most common words with a similar meaning to Perfect:

Chiefly British: blooming
Southern & Midland: bodacious
absolute, faultless, flawless, ideal, immaculate, impeccable, indefectible, irreproachable, letter-perfect, picture-book, picture-perfect, seamless, unblemished, all-out, arrant, blank, categorical, clean, complete, consummate, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, plumb, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Perfect

Words with the opposite meaning of Perfect:

amiss, bad, censurable, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, reproachable, incomplete, partial, worsen

Related Words for Perfect

expert, masterly, classic, dandy, excellent, fabulous, fine, first-class, first-rate, great, marvelous, prime, superb, superior, superlative, terrific, top, top-notch, unsurpassed, completed, finished, perfected, polished, mint, unbruised, undamaged, unimpaired, uninjured, unmarred, unspoiled

Near Antonyms of Perfect

deficient, inadequate, insufficient, wanting, unfinished, unpolished, fallible, blemished, blighted, broken, damaged, defaced, disfigured, impaired, injured, malformed, marred, misshapen, spoiled, vitiated, atrocious, execrable, wretched, imprecise, inaccurate, incorrect, inexact, wrong, doubtful, dubious

Word Forms of Perfect

Inflections: perfected, perfecting, perfects

Derived words: perfectness (noun), perfecter (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Perfect

Middle English parfit, from Anglo-French, from Latin perfectus, from past participle of perficere to carry out, perfect, from per- thoroughly + facere to make, do do

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Perfect

Words & Phrases Containing Perfect

perfect binding, perfect game, perfect number, perfect participle, perfect pitch, perfect square, perfect storm

Frequently Asked Questions about Perfect

What does "Perfect" mean?

"Perfect" means being entirely without fault or defect, flawless. As an an adjective, a verb and a noun, it is defined as: being entirely without fault or defect, flawless. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Perfect"?

Other words for "Perfect" include absolute, faultless, flawless, ideal, immaculate, impeccable, indefectible and irreproachable. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Perfect" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Perfect"?

There are 197 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Perfect". Common alternatives include absolute, faultless, flawless, ideal, immaculate, impeccable, indefectible, irreproachable, letter-perfect and picture-book.

What is the opposite of "Perfect"?

Antonyms of "Perfect" include amiss, bad, censurable, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect and reproachable. Near antonyms include deficient, inadequate, insufficient and wanting.

How do you use "Perfect" in a sentence?

Examples of "Perfect" in a sentence: "a stunningly perfect performance—not the slightest mistake—won her the gold medal in women's figure skating"; "living in perfect happiness in the country"; "I have a perfect recollection of that conversation".

Is "Perfect" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Perfect" can be used as an adjective, a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Perfect" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Perfect" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Perfect"?

"Perfect" is pronounced /ˈpər-fikt/ as an adjective and /pər-ˈfekt/ as a verb and divided into syllables as per·fect.