Adverse
Strong winds ground the flight, and a new fee squeezes the family budget. Different problems, but both create conditions that work against the outcome people want.
Learn This WordMeaning
Harmful, unfavorable, or working against a desired result.
Memory trick
Think of adversity, the difficulties that work against you. Adverse conditions are unfavorable conditions; averse is the different word for personally disliking something.
Examples
Adverse weather conditions delayed the flight.
The trial monitored patients for adverse reactions to the medicine.
The policy had an adverse effect on small businesses with limited savings.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin adversus "turned against, opposed," from advertere, formed from ad "toward" + vertere "to turn."
Usage Notes
Common in science, medicine, and policy, especially in adverse effects, adverse reactions, and adverse conditions. For SSC synonym and antonym questions, learn adverse alongside unfavorable and its opposites favorable and beneficial.
Real-life contexts
Discuss conditions: "The team kept working despite adverse weather."
Describe effects: "Could this change have an adverse effect on access?"
Discuss health: "Report any adverse reaction to your doctor."
Common Mistakes
Do not confuse adverse with averse. Adverse describes unfavorable circumstances or effects; averse describes someone’s opposition or dislike and usually takes "to": "She is averse to risk."
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Start LearningQuick Facts
Part of Speech
adjective
Difficulty
intermediate