aversion

noun

aver·​sion ə-ˈvər-zhən 

-shən

1

a

: a feeling of repugnance toward something with a desire to avoid or turn from it

regards drunkenness with aversion

b

: a settled dislike : antipathy

expressed an aversion to parties

c

: a tendency to extinguish a behavior or to avoid a thing or situation and especially a usually pleasurable one because it is or has been associated with a noxious stimulus

2

: an object of dislike or aversion

"Of all things inconstancy is my aversion."

—Jane Austen

3

obsolete : the act of turning away

Synonyms of aversion

• disgust
• hatred
• distaste
• nausea
• horror

Examples of aversion in a Sentence

Diners who want to reduce the size of their environmental footprint might reassess their aversion to bugs, DeFoliart says. —Janet Raloff, Science News, 7 June 2008

A 16-year Monitor veteran with no previous combat experience, Tyson said she has yet to start reading newspapers on a regular basis because of her aversion to war news and does not like talking about it yet. —Joe Strupp, Editor & Publisher, 21 Apr. 2003

The answer was revealing in many ways. It showed his dark humor, aversion to sentimentality, keen understanding of the role that realism must play in a messy world, and somewhat less keen appreciation for the role that morality plays in sustaining a democracy's foreign policy. —Walter Isaacson, New Republic, 16 Dec. 2002

They regarded war with aversion.

I simply have this ingrained aversion to the sight of bloodshed.

Recent Examples on the Web

Iran is a country with a long memory of foreign interference and a deep cultural aversion to outsiders determining their fate. —Omid Memarian, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2026

An aversion to political polarization is something of an anomaly in the current political climate. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026

Companies where leaders show excessive hesitation or risk aversion face obstacles executing AI initiatives. —Charles Towers-Clark, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026

The palpable aversion to what has become the enterprise software leper colony doesn't help tech's case either. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 18 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see averse

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing aversion

• aversion therapy

Rhymes for aversion

• aspersion
• conversion
• dispersion
• diversion
• eversion
• excursion
• immersion
• incursion
• inversion
• perversion
• recursion
• reversion

Kids Definition

aversion

noun

aver·​sion ə-ˈvər-zhən 

1

: a strong dislike

2

: something strongly disliked

Medical Definition

aversion

noun

aver·​sion ə-ˈvər-zhən, -shən 

1

: a feeling of repugnance toward something with a desire to avoid or turn from it

2

: a tendency to extinguish a behavior or to avoid a thing or situation and especially a usually pleasurable one because it is or has been associated with a noxious stimulus

conditioning of food aversions by drug injection