adverse

[ ad-vurs, ad-vurs ]

adjective

1. unfavorable or antagonistic in purpose or effect:

   adverse criticism.

   Synonyms: unfriendly, inimical, hostile

   Antonyms: favorable

2. opposing one's interests or desire:

   adverse circumstances.

   Synonyms: catastrophic, calamitous, disastrous, unfortunate, unlucky, unfavorable

   Antonyms: favorable

3. being or acting in a contrary direction; opposed or opposing:

   adverse winds.

   Antonyms: favorable

4. opposite; confronting:

   the adverse page.

adverse

/ ˈædvɜːs; ædˈvɜːs /

adjective

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. (of leaves, flowers, etc) facing the main stem Compare averse

Confusables 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.

Derived Forms

• adˈversely, adverb
• adˈverseness, noun

Other Words From

• ad·verse·ly adverb
• ad·verse·ness noun
• un·ad·verse adjective
• un·ad·verse·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of adverse¹

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-

Word History and Origins

Origin of adverse¹

C14: from Latin adversus opposed to, hostile, from advertere to turn towards, from ad- to, towards + vertere to turn

Synonym Study

See contrary.

Example Sentences

Whether chloronitramide anion will be linked to any cancers or has other adverse health risks will be assessed in future work by academics and regulatory agencies, such as the U.S.

From Science Daily

Exposure to these heavy metals in pregnancy has been associated with adverse birth outcomes.

From Science Daily

One is to portray rare adverse health effects — some so rare that their very existence is questionable — as major and acute threats.

From Los Angeles Times

That leaves the public believing that the policy has only adverse effects, and that those are immediate and severe.

From Los Angeles Times

What of RFK Jr.’s roster of adverse health effects?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• conflicting
• detrimental
• disadvantageous
• inimical
• injurious
• negative
• unfortunate
• unfriendly