aversive

adjective

aver·​sive ə-ˈvər-siv 

-ziv

: tending to avoid or causing avoidance of a noxious or punishing stimulus

behavior modification by aversive stimulation

aversively adverb

aversiveness noun

Examples of aversive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Secondly, people in these societies are more likely to perceive aversive behavior as common and justifiable. —Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 20 June 2025

Avoidant Job Crafting Avoidant job crafting refers to behaviors aimed at reducing aspects of work that employees find aversive, threatening or excessively demanding. —Jonathan H. Westover, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

The next thing the team wants to take a closer look at is the process that enables the brain to tie an aversive stimulus, like the shock, to one that was not active during the aversive event. —ArsTechnica, 21 May 2025

Psychologically, the fear of being a sucker is a distinctly aversive feeling. —Tess Wilkinson-Ryan, TIME, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see averse

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for aversive

• coercive
• discursive
• dispersive
• immersive
• recursive
• subversive
• cursive

Medical Definition

aversive

1 of 2 adjective

aver·​sive

ə-ˈvər-siv, -ziv

: tending to avoid or causing avoidance of a noxious or punishing stimulus

behavior modification by aversive conditioning

aversively adverb

aversiveness noun

aversive

2 of 2 noun

: a noxious or punishing stimulus used to suppress an undesirable behavior or habit

Aversives enter the picture because, although many "positive" (nonpunitive) methods for stopping self-injurious behaviors have been developed, they don't work in all cases.

—Constance Holden, Science