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Adverse vs. Averse
Many people find themselves confused when faced with the choice between adverse and averse. While these two adjectives have many similarities, they are not used interchangeably.
If you want to describe a negative reaction to something (such as a harmful side effect from medication) or dangerous meteorological conditions (such as a snowstorm), adverse is the correct choice; you would not say that you had an averse reaction to medication or that there was averse weather.
Averse is most commonly followed by the preposition to (as in "she is averse to shellfish"), but not in every case; you can, for example, describe someone as “risk averse." Normally, averse to signifies a degree of dislike and avoidance, but when preceded by the word not (as in “he was not averse to having another drink”), it may be used as a pointedly understated way to express an interest in something.
In short, adverse tends to be used to describe effects, conditions, and results; while averse refers to feelings and inclinations.
Synonyms
Examples of adverse in a Sentence
Lawyers Weekly USA, 4 Oct. 1999
On more than one occasion his decrees provoked riots, and there were those who voiced adverse opinions on the Duke in public.
—Alison Weir, The Princes in the Tower, 1992
The plant tolerates adverse conditions …
—Dave Dunn, Fine Gardening, January/February 1991
all the adverse publicity really caused the movie star's popularity to suffer
the adverse effects of the drug are too severe to allow it to be marketed
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Rdn, Ld, Health, 11 Jan. 2025
The recall classification for the nuggets is Class 2, meaning that the products contain something that could cause temporary adverse health consequences to people who are exposed to it.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Wildfire smoke can cause adverse health effects 50 to 100 miles from the flames, in communities that cannot see or even smell the smoke.
—Emily Baumgaertner, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Without the ability to pay for prescription refills on hormones like testosterone and estrogen, trans Americans would face the prospect of having to suddenly stop hormone replacement therapy, which can cause adverse side effects like menopausal symptoms.
—Orion Rummler, Them, 8 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Adverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adverse. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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