adverse
AD-vuhs
Adverse (adj) means Unfavorable or harmful; working against someone's interests. Example: “Farmers faced adverse conditions after the long, cold winter damaged the crops.”
adj
1
Unfavorable or harmful; working against someone's interests.
"Farmers faced adverse conditions after the long, cold winter damaged the crops."
"He said Robins had not been in trouble with the law before and had no previous convictions. Jail would have an adverse effect on her and her three children as she was the main carer."
— Steven Morris, Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave (2011)
"Northbound expresses have the hardest work to perform, with adverse grades predominating from Willesden to Tring."
— R. C. Riley, The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future (1960)
"The medication can cause adverse side effects in some patients."
"Adverse weather conditions delayed the flight for hours."
How to use adverse
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBad, harmful, or working against you.
Common mistake
Adverse describes conditions or effects ("adverse reaction"); averse describes a person's feelings ("averse to risk"). They're easy to swap by mistake.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
adverse effects
adverse conditions
adverse reaction
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more adverse, adverser
- Superlative
- most adverse, adversest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Farmers faced _____ conditions after the long, cold winter damaged the crops.
Etymology
From Old French avers, from Latin adversus, "turned against" — from ad- ("to") plus vertere ("to turn").
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for adverse
verse
averse
inverse
reverse
diverse
immerse
universe
converse
perverse
disperse
traverse
multiverse
See all rhymes for adverse →
Frequently asked questions
What does “adverse” mean?
The word “adverse” means unfavorable or harmful; working against someone's interests. In plain terms, bad, harmful, or working against you.
How do you pronounce “adverse”?
“Adverse” is pronounced AD-vuhs (/ˈæd.və(ɹ)s/ in IPA).
How do you use “adverse” in a sentence?
Here is “adverse” used in a sentence: “The medication can cause adverse side effects in some patients.”
What is the opposite of “adverse”?
The opposite of “adverse” — its antonyms — is proverse.
What part of speech is “adverse”?
“Adverse” is an adjective.
Where does the word “adverse” come from?
The word “adverse” comes from Latin. From Old French avers, from Latin adversus, "turned against" — from ad- ("to") plus vertere ("to turn").
Is “adverse” a common word?
“Adverse” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
What is the difference between adverse and averse?
Adverse means unfavorable or harmful and describes conditions or effects, as in adverse weather or adverse effects. Averse means having a strong dislike or reluctance and describes a person's attitude, as in averse to risk.
What is the difference between adverse and adversarial?
Adverse means unfavorable or harmful in its effect. Adversarial means involving conflict or opposition between opposing sides, as in an adversarial relationship or an adversarial legal system.
What nouns commonly go with adverse?
Adverse frequently pairs with words such as effect, reaction, weather, conditions, and consequences. These collocations describe something working against a person's interests.
Is adverse used to describe people?
Adverse usually describes conditions, effects, or circumstances rather than a person's feelings. If you mean a person's dislike or reluctance, the correct word is averse, as in averse to change.
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