adverse
Americanadjective
-
unfavorable or antagonistic in purpose or effect.
adverse criticism.
- Synonyms:
- unfriendly, inimical, hostile
-
opposing one's interests or desire.
adverse circumstances.
- Synonyms:
- catastrophic, calamitous, disastrous, unfortunate, unlucky, unfavorable
-
being or acting in a contrary direction; opposed or opposing.
adverse winds.
-
opposite; confronting.
the adverse page.
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
Usage
What's the difference between adverse and averse? 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.
Commonly Confused
The adjectives adverse and averse are related both etymologically and semantically, each having “opposition” as a central sense. Adverse is seldom used of people but rather of effects or events, and it usually conveys a sense of hostility or harmfulness: adverse reviews; adverse winds; adverse trends in the economy. Related nouns are adversity and adversary: Adversities breed bitterness. His adversaries countered his every move. Averse is used of persons and means “feeling opposed or disinclined”; it often occurs idiomatically with a preceding negative to convey the opposite meaning “willing or agreeable,” and is not interchangeable with adverse in these contexts: We are not averse to holding another meeting. The related noun is aversion: She has a strong aversion to violence. Averse is usually followed by to, in older use occasionally by from.
Related Words
See contrary.
Other Word Forms
- adversely adverb
- adverseness noun
- unadverse adjective
- unadverseness noun
Etymology
Origin of adverse
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French advers, from Latin adversus “hostile” (past participle of advertere ), equivalent to ad- ad- + vert- “turn” + -tus past participle suffix, with -tt- giving rise to -s-
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.
Because older adults are more likely to experience adverse medical conditions, their primary-care providers may focus on diagnosing ailments such as diabetes, heart disease or thyroid issues.
From MarketWatch
Discovery has suffered a “material adverse effect,” leading it to terminate or renegotiate the transaction.
He adds: "I often worry that the full effects are unlikely to be known for many years, and by the time the full adverse effects are apparent it may be too late to reverse."
From BBC
"Due to expected adverse weather conditions, the traffic is suspended in the Netherlands today," Eurostar said in a live service update, urging travellers affected not to turn up to the station.
From Barron's
"A combination of very weak consumer confidence, highly adverse government fiscal policies and continued cost inflation is causing many established and much-loved businesses to suffer badly," Modella said.
From BBC
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.
