Adverse vs Averse - What's the difference?
adverse | averse |
Unfavorable; antagonistic in purpose or effect; hostile; actively opposing one's interests or wishes; contrary to one's welfare; acting against; working in an opposing direction.
* Southey
* {{quote-news, year=2011
, date=December 14
, author=Steven Morris
, title=Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave
, work=Guardian
Opposed; contrary; opposing one's interests or desire.
(not comparable) Opposite; confronting.
* 1809 , ,
Having a repugnance or opposition of mind.
* {{quote-book, year=2004
, author=Arthur Schopenhauer
, title=Essays of Schopenhauer
, chapter=2
* {{quote-book, year=1885
, author=E. T. A. Hoffmann
, title=The Entail
Turned away or backward.
* Dryden
(obsolete) Lying on the opposite side (to'' or ''from ).
To turn away.
As adjectives the difference between adverse and averse
is that adverse is unfavorable; antagonistic in purpose or effect; hostile; actively opposing one's interests or wishes; contrary to one's welfare; acting against; working in an opposing direction while averse is having a repugnance or opposition of mind.As a verb averse is
to turn away.adverse
English
(wikipedia adverse)Adjective
(er)- adverse criticism
- Happy were it for us all if we bore prosperity as well and wisely as we endure an adverse fortune.
citation, page= , passage=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.}}
- adverse circumstances.
- the adverse page
- the adverse party
Google Books
- Calpe's adverse height / must greet my sight
Usage notes
Adverse'' is sometimes confused with (averse), though the meanings are somewhat different. ''Adverse'' most often refers to things, denoting something that is in opposition to someone's interests — something one might refer to as an (adversity) or (adversary) — (''adverse winds''; ''an attitude adverse to our ideals''). ''Averse'' usually refers to people, and implies one has a distaste, disinclination, or (aversion) toward something (''a leader averse to war''; ''an investor averse to risk taking''). ''Averse'' is most often used with "''to''" in a construction like "''I am averse to…''". ''Adverse shows up less often in this type of construction, describing a person instead of a thing, and should carry a meaning of "actively opposed to" rather that "has an aversion to".Derived terms
* adversely * adversenessSee also
* averseAnagrams
* * ----averse
English
Adjective
(en adjective)citation, passage=This is why the most eminent intellects have always been strongly averse to any kind of disturbance, interruption and distraction, and above everything to that violent interruption which is caused by noise; other people do not take any particular notice of this sort of thing.}}
citation, passage=“I assure you, cousin,” replied the old gentleman, “that the Baron, notwithstanding his unpleasant manner, is really one of the most excellent and kind-hearted men in the world. As I have already told you, he did not assume these manners until the time he became lord of the entail; previous to then he was a modest, gentle youth. Besides, he is not, after all, so bad as you make him out to be; and further, I should like to know why you are so averse to him.” As my uncle said these words he smiled mockingly, and the blood rushed hotly and furiously into my face.}}
- The tracks averse a lying notice gave, / And led the searcher backward from the cave.
