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Avert vs Adverse - What's the difference?

avert | adverse |

As a verb avert

is to turn aside or away.

As an adjective 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.

avert

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To turn aside or away.
    • To avert the eyes from an object.
  • To ward off, or prevent, the occurrence or effects of.
    • How can the danger be averted ?
  • * Milton
    • To avert his ire.
  • * Prior
    • Till ardent prayer averts the public woe.
  • (archaic) To turn away.
  • * Thomson
    • Cold and averting from our neighbour's good.
  • (archaic) To turn away.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • When atheists and profane persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinions in religion, it doth avert them from the church.

    Derived terms

    * averter * avertress

    Synonyms

    * (to prevent) * See also

    References

    * " avert" at OneLook® Dictionary Search .

    Anagrams

    * ----

    adverse

    English

    (wikipedia adverse)

    Adjective

    (er)
  • 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.
    • adverse criticism
  • * Southey
    • Happy were it for us all if we bore prosperity as well and wisely as we endure an adverse fortune.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011
    • , date=December 14 , author=Steven Morris , title=Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave , work=Guardian 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.}}
  • Opposed; contrary; opposing one's interests or desire.
    • adverse circumstances.
  • (not comparable) Opposite; confronting.
    • the adverse page
    the adverse party
  • * 1809 , , 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 * adverseness

    Related terms

    * adversary * adversative * adversity * versus

    See also

    * averse

    Anagrams

    * * ----