Definition of adverse
1 : acting against or in a contrary direction : hostile hindered by adverse winds
2a : opposed to one's interests an adverse verdict heard testimony adverse to their position; especially : unfavorable adverse criticismb : causing harm : harmful adverse drug effects
3 archaic : opposite in position
adversely
adverbadverseness
nounPeople Are Reading
Examples of adverse in a Sentence
The Bankruptcy Code requires that debtor's counsel be disinterested and not have an interest adverse to the estate. —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
Recent Examples of adverse from the Web
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Clark County, Nev., home to Las Vegas, requires prospective tour operators to provide a technical report that addresses noise, the number of daily flights and potential adverse impacts.
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A study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine on Tuesday, offers new data on age-specific adverse pregnancy outcomes that might help health-care providers in the United States better counsel women of all ages who are planning for parenthood.
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Webster says to do something that’s really hard or to handle adverse conditions.
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Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardana told reporters that the adverse weather conditions could escalate.
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Lead paint was desirable for centuries due to its brilliant white color, but the adverse effects of lead poisoning only became known in the last century.
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Their eggs, meat, and skin leaves them vulnerable to poaching, and their habitat is uniquely susceptible to feeling the adverse effects of climate change.
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If used properly, ADS will produce no lasting adverse affects, the military argues.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adverse'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
Origin and Etymology of adverse
Middle English, from Anglo-French advers, from Latin adversus, past participle of advertere —see 1advert
ADVERSE Defined for English Language Learners
adverse
playDefinition of adverse for English Language Learners
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: bad or unfavorable : not good
ADVERSE Defined for Kids
adverse
playDefinition of adverse for Students
1 : acting against or in an opposite direction adverse winds
2 : not helping or favoring adverse circumstances
adversely
adverb Bad weather adversely affected attendance at the fair.Law Dictionary
adverse
playLegal Definition of adverse
: opposed to one's interests : operating to one's detriment an adverse verdict
Learn More about adverse
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See words that rhyme with adverse Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for adverse Spanish Central: Translation of adverse Nglish: Translation of adverse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of adverse for Arabic speakers
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