averse

[ uh-vurs ]

adjective

1. having a strong feeling of opposition, antipathy, repugnance, etc.; opposed (often used in combination): Young Americans are more debt-averse than older generations.

   He is not averse to having a drink now and then.

   Young Americans are more debt-averse than older generations.

   Synonyms: loath, unwilling

   Antonyms: eager, inclined

averse

/ əˈvɜːs /

adjective

1. postpositiveusually foll byto opposed, disinclined, or loath
2. See adverse
   (of leaves, flowers, etc) turned away from the main stem Compare adverse

Confusables Note

See adverse.

Derived Forms

• aˈversely, adverb
• aˈverseness, noun

Other Words From

• a·versely adverb
• a·verseness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of averse¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin āversus “turned away, averted” (past participle of āvertere ), equivalent to ā-, prefix and preposition + vert- “turn” + -tus past participle suffix; a- ⁴

Word History and Origins

Origin of averse¹

C16: from Latin āversus, from āvertere to turn from, from vertere to turn

Synonym Study

See reluctant.

Example Sentences

So the fact that we feel more painful when we lose $20 than when we gain $20, that might cause us to be far more risk-averse than we should be.

From Freakonomics

When we moved down here, we weren’t sure when we would start the restaurant, and the difference between Patrick and me is that I’m generally more risk-averse and he’s more of a risk-taker, which I think balances us out pretty well.

From Ozy

That’s less the case in country, which remains a risk-averse business that runs on the established machinery of radio and touring, and trades on more traditional tropes in its lyrics and soundscapes.

From Time

The people who continue to pay for traditional TV are less likely to be willing to give up traditional TV, for reasons such as they are major sports fans, are averse to streaming or simply enjoy the traditional TV experience.

From Digiday

None of this jockeying over “liberal” is likely to go mainstream anytime soon, particularly since most politicians remain averse to the label.

From Washington Post

Ambassador Shirley Temple Black attributed this to the “deeply risk-averse psychology of the Czech people.”

From The Daily Beast

So why, in 2014, is the superhero standard-bearer so minority-averse?

From The Daily Beast

And self-regulation is an important concept when it comes to understanding the government-averse sharing economy.

From The Daily Beast

Yet an answer, or even a speculation, would have added insight and originality to this terrific but risk-averse debut.

From The Daily Beast

Improvising can certainly be unnerving, especially for politicians who are trained to be risk-averse.

From The Daily Beast

This may have been maternal partiality, for whilst a mere child, she was somewhat obstinate in disposition, and averse to study.

From Project Gutenberg

In the course of a few days the minister visited the kitchen again, and found Chloe still averse to his proposition.

From Project Gutenberg

He was, therefore, averse to putting the question on such narrow grounds.

From Project Gutenberg

He was averse to costly pleasures, and regarded contentedness with a little to be a great good.

From Project Gutenberg

The doubter seemed averse to giving this proof of unbelief, and yet it was clear that he was not convinced.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• allergic
• antagonistic
• hesitant
• hostile
• loath
• reluctant
• unwilling

Averse Vs. Adverse

What's the difference between averse and adverse?

Averse means strongly opposed to or having a feeling of strong dislike toward something, as in I’m extremely averse to taking on debt. Adverse most commonly means unfavorable or hostile, as in adverse conditions, adverse weather, or adverse criticism.

Averse is often used in negative constructions, as in We are not averse to negotiations. It’s also used in the term risk-averse, meaning reluctant to take risks or tending to avoid risk.

Confusion can arise between the two terms because both are adjectives that involve unfavorableness or opposition. However, averse typically describes the way someone feels toward something, while adverse typically describes circumstances.

One way to remember which word is which is to remember that adverse, in a very general sense, means bad, which rhymes with the first part of the word. On the other hand, when you’re averse to something, you have a very strong opposition to it.

It may also be helpful to remember that the noun form of averse is aversion, meaning a strong feeling of dislike or opposition. The noun form of adverse is adversity, which means hostile or unfavorable conditions.

Here’s an example of adverse and averse used correctly in a sentence.

Example: I’m not averse to taking risks for the sake of adventure, but I just don’t think it’s safe to skydive in such adverse weather.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between averse and adverse.

Quiz yourself on averse vs. adverse!

Should averse or adverse be used in the following sentence?

The medication had some _____ effects.