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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.
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
Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 18 Apr. 2025
So far, Lilly said the adverse effects of its new pill are consistent with GLP-1s, a class of medications primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
On Wednesday, the FDA issued its recall classification as Class II, indicating the product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health effects, though the probability of serious harm is remote.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
The court recognized that Article 8 of the Convention encompasses a right to effective protection by state authorities from the serious adverse effects of climate change on individuals' lives, health, well-being, and quality of life.
—Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adverse
Cite this Entry
“Adverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adverse. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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