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adverse
[ad-vurs, ad-vurs]
adjective
unfavorable or antagonistic in purpose or effect.
adverse criticism.
opposing one's interests or desire.
adverse circumstances.
being or acting in a contrary direction; opposed or opposing.
adverse winds.
opposite; confronting.
the adverse page.
adverse
/ ˈædvɜːs, ædˈvɜːs /
adjective
antagonistic or inimical; hostile
adverse criticism
unfavourable to one's interests
adverse circumstances
contrary or opposite in direction or position
adverse winds
(of leaves, flowers, etc) facing the main stem Compare averse
Confusables Note
Other Word Forms
- adversely adverb
- adverseness noun
- unadverse adjective
- unadverseness noun
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of adverse1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
"A more recent review of studies in this area finds no association between circumcision and any adverse psychological effects," he added.
Burnette: When we debuted our trucks in the early part of this year, end of last year, they were already capable of operating day and night and in adverse weather.
Three people finished the study early due to adverse events, their own decision to leave the study or for other reasons.
These types of events are what experts call adverse experiences — and a higher number of adverse experiences can lead to toxic stress, which can harm brain development and overall health.
Karen Booth is currently working at the Freeman in a non-surgical role, and has joined the hospital's support programme as a mentor for surgeons who have been involved in adverse outcomes in surgery.
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Related Words
When To Use
Adverse most commonly means unfavorable or hostile, as in adverse conditions, adverse weather, or adverse criticism. Averse means strongly opposed to or having a feeling of strong dislike toward something, as in I’m extremely averse to taking on debt.Averse is often used in negative constructions, as in We are not averse to negotiations. It’s also used in the term risk-averse, meaning reluctant to take risks or tending to avoid risk.Confusion can arise between the two terms because both are adjectives that involve unfavorableness or opposition. However, adverse typically describes circumstances, while averse typically describes the way someone feels toward something.One way to remember which word is which is to remember that adverse, in a very general sense, means bad, which rhymes with the first part of the word. On the other hand, when you’re averse to something, you have a very strong opposition to it.It may also be helpful to remember that the noun form of adverse is adversity, which means hostile or unfavorable conditions. The noun form of averse is aversion, meaning a strong feeling of dislike or opposition.Here’s an example of adverse and averse used correctly in a sentence.Example: I’m not averse to taking risks for the sake of adventure, but I just don’t think it’s safe to skydive in such adverse weather.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between adverse and averse.
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