aversive

[ uh-vur-siv, -ziv ]

/ əˈvɜr sɪv, -zɪv /

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See synonyms for aversive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of or relating to aversion.

of or relating to aversive conditioning.

noun

a reprimand, punishment, or agent, used in aversive conditioning: Antabuse is a commonly used aversive in the treatment of alcoholism.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of aversive

First recorded in 1590–1600; avers(ion) + -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM aversive

a·ver·sive·ly, adverba·ver·sive·ness, noun

Words nearby aversive

Averroës, Averroism, averse, aversion, aversion therapy, aversive, aversive conditioning, avert, averted, Avertin, Avery

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use aversive in a sentence

If we do not understand this emotion, then we are leaving its capability on the table by having this bizarrely aversive relationship with it.
Why a 'No Regrets' Philosophy Won't Get You Anywhere, According to Business Guru Daniel Pink|Belinda Luscombe|February 7, 2022|Time
When a panel of people smelled the collection T-shirts, panelists found the body odor of people whose immune systems had been activated by the endotoxin to be more aversive than normal body odor.
What Your Body Odor Says About You|Sarah Everts|July 21, 2021|Time
The take-home message is that if someone smells aversive, others may avoid being in close proximity, which is a pretty reasonable strategy for avoiding potential infections.
What Your Body Odor Says About You|Sarah Everts|July 21, 2021|Time
We procrastinate on tasks we find “difficult, unpleasant, aversive or just plain boring or stressful.”
Why do we procrastinate, and how can we stop? Experts have answers.|Angela Haupt|July 9, 2021|Washington Post

You feel this ripping apart psychologically and it’s incredibly corrosive and aversive.
How to Manage Your Goal Hierarchy (Ep. 458)|Steven D. Levitt|April 15, 2021|Freakonomics
That attitude has no doubt influenced whether these experiences are pleasurable or aversive.
Can Women Orgasm During Childbirth?|Lizzie Crocker|June 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Here he found a most congenial orbit, for his tastes were aversive to the rough and tumble of political strife.
Makers and Romance of Alabama History|B. F. Riley

British Dictionary definitions for aversive

aversive

/ (əˈvɜːsɪv) /

adjective

tending to dissuade or repel

Derived forms of aversive

aversively, adverb

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

aversive

Origin of aversive

OTHER WORDS FROM aversive

Words nearby aversive

Words related to aversive

How to use aversive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for aversive

Derived forms of aversive