adverse
Use Adverse in a sentence
vɜrs adjective
1.
unfavorable or antagonistic in purpose or effect: adverse criticism.
2.
opposing one's interests or desire: adverse circumstances.
3.
being or acting in a contrary direction; opposed or opposing: adverse winds.
4.
opposite; confronting: the adverse page.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French advers < Latin adversus hostile (past participle of advertere), equivalent to ad- ad- + vert- turn + -tus past participle suffix, with -tt- > -s-
1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French advers < Latin adversus hostile (past participle of advertere), equivalent to ad- ad- + vert- turn + -tus past participle suffix, with -tt- > -s-
Related forms
ad·verse·ly, adverb
ad·verse·ness, noun
un·ad·verse, adjective
un·ad·verse·ly, adverb
un·ad·verse·ness, noun
Synonyms
1. hostile, inimical, unfriendly. 2. unfavorable; unlucky, unfortunate; disastrous, calamitous, catastrophic. See contrary.
1. hostile, inimical, unfriendly. 2. unfavorable; unlucky, unfortunate; disastrous, calamitous, catastrophic. See contrary.
Antonyms
1–3. favorable.
1–3. favorable.
Usage note
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.
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To adverse
00:10
Adverse
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
adverse (ˈædvɜːs, ædˈvɜːs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | antagonistic or inimical; hostile: adverse criticism |
| 2. | unfavourable to one's interests: adverse circumstances |
| 3. | contrary or opposite in direction or position: adverse winds |
| 4. | Compare averse (of leaves, flowers, etc) facing the main stem |
| [C14: from Latin adversus opposed to, hostile, from advertere to turn towards, from ad- to, towards + vertere to turn] | |
| ad'versely | |
| —adv | |
| ad'verseness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
adverse
late 14c., from O.Fr. avers (Mod.Fr. adverse), from L. adversus "turned against," thus "hostile," pp. of advertere, from ad- "to" + vertere "to turn" (see versus).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
We're learning about what a group of people can do under adverse circumstances.
You should save not only for retirement, but also for adverse income shocks.
Insufficient measures to permit an escape from the adverse feedback loop between sovereign debt and bank debt.
Nuclear radiation release to the public in adverse moment is the hyper critical control point.
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