adverse

adjective

ad-ˈvərs How to pronounce adverse (audio)
Definition of adversenext
1
as in unfavorable
opposed to one's interests all the adverse publicity really caused the movie star's popularity to suffer

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detrimental
causing or capable of causing harm the adverse effects of the drug are too severe to allow it to be marketed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adverse Applying sunscreen before heading outdoors and reapplying every few hours will keep your skin free of sunburn and protected from other adverse effects of too much exposure. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 29 June 2026 Valentine also testified that the FDA encourages infant formula companies to send in all adverse event reports and that nothing prevented Mead Johnson from doing so. — David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 2 July 2026 In fact a 2025 published in Open Nursing linked these expectations to elevated stress, emotional suppression, delayed healthcare utilization, burnout, and adverse physical health outcomes. — Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Side Effects of Wegovy HD The most common adverse reactions reported with Wegovy HD were gastrointestinal, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain. — Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for adverse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adverse
  1. unfavorable
  2. detrimental
  3. negative
  4. harmful
  5. hostile
  6. damaging
  7. dangerous
  8. bad
Adjective
  • El Nino conditions often suppress tropical activity during the Atlantic hurricane season by producing unfavorable atmospheric winds.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
  • About half of Democrats overall have a favorable impression of Mamdani and only about 1 in 10 have an unfavorable view of him, while the rest, about 39%, don’t have an opinion.
    — Steve Peoples, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of unfavorable
Adjective
  • And beneath the surface of those turquoise waters, marine life continues on without knowing their life is colliding in detrimental-to-them ways.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Substance abuse is greatly detrimental in its own right, of course, but sometimes the issues that stem from it—stress, emotional exhaustion, secrecy, avoidance—can have similarly devastating long-term effects on a person’s wellbeing.
    — Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026
Definition of detrimental
Adjective
  • KeyBanc downgrades Salesforce to sector weight from overweight KeyBanc its survey checks appear negative for the company.
    — Michael Bloom, CNBC, 9 July 2026
  • The young adults struggle with poor mental, physical health, negative judgments of their own personal character, finding meaning in life, financial security, and the quality of their relationships.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 July 2026
Definition of negative
Adjective
  • Nevertheless, there are several measures that gardeners can take to keep themselves, their children, plants and produce safe from potentially harmful contaminants stemming from the fire.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Advertisement If sleep deprivation is harmful, do studies where people are asked to sleep longer show a beneficial effect?
    — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 8 July 2026
Definition of harmful
Adjective
  • Islamic extremism remains the biggest threat but over the past five years, threats from far-right groups and hostile states have significantly grown, said Laurence Taylor, head of counterterrorism police.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
  • Officials said the aircraft will strengthen surveillance over vast northern waters and improve Denmark’s ability to detect hostile submarines operating in the region.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • Of all the bad policy coming out from Washington today, the CCCA may be the most damaging to their day-to-day survival.
    — Raquel Mitchell, Boston Herald, 8 July 2026
  • The optics have been particularly damaging for the country’s image within the global mining industry.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of damaging
Adjective
  • Teri handled higher-value finds and saw that potentially dangerous items – like firearms and knives – got to the local sheriff’s office.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Looking back through the sequence, Brazil have good numbers back and there is little need for anyone to overcommit — but a lazy tackle from behind leads to a free kick in a dangerous area.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • Despite concerns that California’s costs and regulations are bad for business, the state has attracted an unprecedented pile of capital this year, and no other state is even close.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • The Giants are now 39-54 this season, two games up on Colorado (38-57) for the worst record in the NL and second-worst in MLB.
    — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 10 July 2026
Definition of bad

Browse Nearby Words

adversary
adverse
adversely
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Cite this Entry

“Adverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adverse. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of adverse for Spanish Speakers

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