Entry Word: adverse

Function: adjective

Meaning: 1 opposed to oneʼs interests <all the adverse publicity really caused the movie star's popularity to suffer>

Synonyms counter, disadvantageous, hostile, inimical, negative, prejudicial, unfavorable, unfriendly, unsympathetic

Related Words bad, baleful, baneful, evil; damaging, deleterious, destructive, detrimental, fatal, harmful, hurtful, injurious, lethal, murderous, poisonous, ruinous, threatening, troublesome, unhealthy, wounding; dangerous, hazardous, imperiling, jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, unsafe; defamatory, detractive, offensive, scathing, slanderous; antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, intolerant, uncongenial, uncooperative; competing, conflicting, counteracting, countering, opposing, resistant, resisting

Near Antonyms beneficial, good, helpful, propitious, useful; harmless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, nondestructive, nonfatal, nonlethal, nonthreatening; unresisting, unresistant; tolerant, understanding; agreeable, affable, amiable, amicable, benign, benignant, congenial, cordial, complying, friendly, hospitable

Antonyms advantageous, favorable, friendly, positive, supportive, sympathetic, well-disposed

2 causing or capable of causing harm <the adverse effects of the drug are too severe to allow it to be marketed> — see harmful