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definitions

averse

[uh-vurs]
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adjective

having a strong feeling of opposition, antipathy, repugnance, etc.; opposed: He is not averse to having a drink now and then.

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What does adverse and averse mean? The adjectives adverse and averse are related. Both come from the Latin root vert- meaning “to turn.” In Latin the word adversus meant “turned toward” and “hostile” and is a direct root of adverse. Averse, on the other hand, emerges from the Latin word aversus, which meant “turned away.” Today, adverse is rarely used to describe people but rather to describe effects or …
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Origin of averse

1590–1600; (< Middle French) < Latin āversus turned away, averted (past participle of āvertere), equivalent to ā- a-4 + vert- turn + -tus past participle suffix
Related formsa·verse·ly, adverba·verse·ness, noun
Can be confusedadverse averse (see usage note at adverse)

Synonyms for averse

unwilling, loath. See reluctant.

Antonyms for averse

inclined, eager.

Usage note

See adverse.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for aversely

averse

adjective

(postpositive usually foll by to) opposed, disinclined, or loath
(of leaves, flowers, etc) turned away from the main stemCompare adverse (def. 4)
Derived Formsaversely, adverbaverseness, noun

Word Origin for averse

C16: from Latin āversus, from āvertere to turn from, from vertere to turn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for aversely

averse

adj.

mid-15c., "turned away in mind or feeling," from Old French avers and directly from Latin aversus "turned away, turned back," past participle of avertere (see avert). Originally and usually in English in the mental sense, while avert is used in a physical sense.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper