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
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Wonder
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
Leaders of Western democracies mostly strive to project humility, relatability, and an aversion to corruption; the government is multibranched and by the people, after all.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Waldman said a particular concern with DSA members is what he called their aversion to compromise.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
The nation’s first two central banks—the First and Second Bank of the United States—closed when their 20-year charters expired, because of the public’s aversion to concentrated power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
Never once in their dialogues did I hear a syllable of regret at the hospitality they had extended to me, or of suspicion of, or aversion to, myself.
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
In Olivia’s case, her restrictive eating was driven primarily by sensory aversions.
From Slate ● Jan. 4, 2025
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
Emma felt this sentence would give people “an opening to say, however unjustly, that he considered all spiritual beliefs no higher than hereditary aversions or likings, such as the fear of monkeys towards snakes.”
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
