adversely

adverb

ad·​verse·​ly ad-ˈvərs-lē 

ˈad-ˌvərs-

: in an adverse manner : in a way that is bad or harmful

Determining which drugs—if any—may have interacted adversely with others is difficult.

—Nancy Ann Jeffrey and Robert Langreth

—often used with affect

Reductions in staffing are affecting the company adversely.

Taking a loan from your retirement account may adversely affect your retirement savings, but there are instances when taking such a loan makes sense.

—Denise Appleby

Examples of adversely in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Louisiana ruling prevented the NCAA, SEC and LSU from taking action that would adversely affect the athletes. — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Factors such as high heat and humidity, environmental allergens, cold air, and safety considerations can adversely affect some individuals’ health. — Megan Nunn, Verywell Health, 9 Sep. 2026

The South Shore & South Bend also depends on being able to switch freight freely among all railroads operating on the Chicago network, Gilbertson said, and this could be adversely affected if the industry gets more concentrated. — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Twine said the range is formulated to improve hair that has been adversely impacted by environmental stressors like UV exposure, pollution and heat styling, and biological and hormonal shifts. — Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for adversely

• diversely
• inversely
• perversely
• reversely
• transversely
• tersely