Look-alike words
Adverse vs. Averse
Adverse describes things that are harmful or unfavorable, like adverse weather or adverse effects. Averse describes a person who dislikes or opposes something, and it is usually followed by to. A person is averse; conditions are adverse.
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| adverse | adjective | harmful, unfavorable or working against you |
| averse | adjective | having a strong dislike of something or not wanting to do it |
Adverse
adjective: harmful, unfavorable or working against you
- The flight was delayed because of adverse weather.
- Tell your doctor about any adverse reactions to the new medicine.
Averse
adjective: having a strong dislike of something or not wanting to do it
- Ben is averse to spending money on things he will rarely use.
- My grandmother is not averse to trying new foods.
How to remember the difference
Averse goes with aversion, a feeling a person has. Adverse has a d, as in damaging or dangerous: it describes conditions, not feelings.
Good to know
Averse almost always describes people and their feelings, often in the phrase not averse to, meaning fairly willing. Adverse describes events and conditions, so you would not say someone is adverse to a plan.
Spot the mistake
I am not
adverseaverse to working on the weekend if needed.Correct: I am not averse to working on the weekend if needed.
The drug had no
averseadverse effects in the trial.Correct: The drug had no adverse effects in the trial.
Check yourself
Pick the word that fits each sentence.
1. The hikers turned back because of conditions on the trail.
Answer: adverse. The word describes harmful conditions, not a feeling, so it is adverse.
2. Leo is to crowds, so he shops early in the morning.
Answer: averse. The word describes a person's dislike of something, followed by to, so it is averse.