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Hostile vs Averse - What's the difference?

hostile | averse |

As adjectives the difference between hostile and averse

is that hostile is belonging or appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence, or a desire to thwart and injure; occupied by an enemy or enemies; inimical; unfriendly while averse is having a repugnance or opposition of mind.

As a noun hostile

is (chiefly|in the plural) an enemy.

As a verb averse is

to turn away.

hostile

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Belonging or appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence, or a desire to thwart and injure; occupied by an enemy or enemies; inimical; unfriendly
    • a hostile force
    hostile intentions
    a hostile country
    hostile to a sudden change

    Related terms

    * hostility * See also

    Synonyms

    * antagonistic * hateful

    Antonyms

    * friendly

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (chiefly, in the plural) An enemy.

    • Anagrams

    * * ----

    averse

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having a repugnance or opposition of mind.
  • * {{quote-book, year=2004
    • , author=Arthur Schopenhauer , title=Essays of Schopenhauer , chapter=2 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.}}
  • * {{quote-book, year=1885
    • , author=E. T. A. Hoffmann , title=The Entail 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.}}
  • Turned away or backward.
  • * Dryden
    • The tracks averse a lying notice gave, / And led the searcher backward from the cave.
  • (obsolete) Lying on the opposite side (to'' or ''from ).

    • Usage notes

    The terms (adverse) and averse'' are sometimes confused, though their 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 than "has an aversion to".

    Synonyms

    * (having a repugnance) disliking, disinclined, fromward, unwilling, reluctant, loath

    Derived terms

    * aversely * averseness * risk-averse

    Verb

    (avers)
  • To turn away.

    • Related terms

    * avert * aversion

    See also

    * adverse

    Anagrams

    * * * ----