aversion
Americannoun
-
a strong feeling of dislike, opposition, repugnance, or antipathy (usually followed byto ).
a strong aversion to snakes and spiders.
- Synonyms:
- disgust, abhorrence, distaste
- Antonyms:
- predilection
-
a cause or object of dislike; person or thing that causes antipathy.
His pet aversion is guests who are always late.
-
Obsolete. the act of averting; a turning away or preventing.
noun
-
extreme dislike or disinclination; repugnance
-
a person or thing that arouses this
he is my pet aversion
Synonym Usage
Aversion, antipathy, loathing connote strong dislike or detestation. Aversion is an unreasoning desire to avoid that which displeases, annoys, or offends: an aversion to (or toward ) cats. Antipathy is a distaste, dislike, or disgust toward something: an antipathy toward (or for ) braggarts. Loathing connotes a combination of hatred and disgust, or detestation: a loathing for (or toward ) hypocrisy, a criminal.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of aversion
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin āversiōn-, stem of āversiō; equivalent to averse + -ion
Explanation
If you have an aversion to something, you have an intense dislike for it. Commonly it's food, but you could have an aversion to black and white movies, driving with the windows open, or taking calls from salespeople. An aversion is also the person or thing that is the object of such intense dislike: her aversions included all kinds of vegetables and fruits. This noun is from Latin avertio, ultimately from avertere "to turn away," from the prefix a- "from" plus vertere "to turn." Near synonyms are repugnance and antipathy.
Vocabulary lists containing aversion
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Behavioral finance has a name for this: loss aversion.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
And as the 2023 dual writers’ and actors’ strikes thinned out theatrical lineups, that aversion to uncertainty became a push for reliable and profitable hits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
His blind spot about risks in the financial system also owed something to a general aversion to regulation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
It was also said that his aversion to the regulation of banks - and their practice of using complicated financial instruments like derivatives to insure their lending - made the problem worse.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
It is a happy thing that time quells the longings of vengeance and hushes the promptings of rage and aversion.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Widespread health- and Ozempic-driven aversions to carbohydrates, changing consumer tastes and concern over rising prices have led to beer volume declines for big brewers including Heineken, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Molson Coors and Constellation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
He noted that, like him, she had trouble socializing and experienced sensory aversions.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2024
Pregnancy is often a time for food aversions and exhaustion, but for Keatley the opposite has been true.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2023
"I really regret the rice isn't consumed due to safety rumours, but I also understand it's hard to completely refute aversions."
From Reuters ● Mar. 9, 2023
I will uncover and invoke inclinations and aversions.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
