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

• 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

While vocal over the years about his aversion to sell, take on a business partner or publicly list the company, rumors about Armani contemplating forming a foundation first emerged in 2012. —Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025

That's amid broader risk aversion in global equities, with steep declines in European stocks as well as on Wall Street. —Ian King, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025

Cringe culture refers to Gen Z’s self-conscious aversion to vulnerability and peer disapproval. —Ruth Oh Reitmeier, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

My mother’s parking lot come-to-Jesus moment and subsequent Evangelical faith translated to an aversion to He-Man and The Smurfs (an episode featuring Smurfette and a Voodoo doll put the nail in that one). —Adam Verner september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025

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