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It can be easy to confuse adverse vs. averse because they sound very similar. They are etymologically related, but they have different meanings.
Keep reading to the end of this blog post to take the mini quiz and cement what you learn.
Table of Contents
Meaning of Adverse
Adverse is an adjective that means hostile, harmful, or opposed to one’s interests. It often modifies words like effect, reaction, and impact.
Meaning of Averse
Averse is an adjective that means having a feeling of repugnance, dislike, or distaste. It’s usually followed by the preposition to and is used to describe someone having a strong dislike for something specific.
Both words are used to indicate opposition to something, but adverse typically refers to things, whereas averse typically refers to people.
Examples of Adverse vs. Averse
Examples of adverse in a sentence
The adverse effects of the virus are plentiful and long-lasting.
She had an adverse reaction to the medication.
The 50% off sale had an adverse impact on her savings.
Examples of averse in a sentence
He was not averse to turning on the waterworks if the situation warranted it.
Although she was usually risk averse, she decided to bet $100 on the race.
Are you averse to smoking?
Is It Risk Averse or Risk Adverse?
Risk averse is correct because being averse to something means having a strong dislike or unwillingness for something.
Grammar Posts
Different From vs. Different Than
Adverse vs. Averse Quiz
- She chose not to go to the party due to the adverse/averse driving conditions created by the rainstorm.
- She was adverse/averse to rain after many years living in Ireland.
- He hadn’t seen her in many years, but the adverse/averse effects of drinking alcohol were clear from her appearance.
- With a healthy diet and plenty of exercise, the adverse/averse effects will start to go away.
- She wasn’t adverse/averse to a little flirting as long as that’s all it was.
Final Thoughts on Adverse vs. Averse
There are a couple of tricks to remembering if you need to use adverse or averse. The first is to determine if you’re referring to a person (averse) or a thing (adverse). The second is to remember that averse is often followed by the preposition to.
Adverse vs. Averse Quiz Answers
- She chose not to go to the party due to the adverse driving conditions created by the rainstorm.
- She was averse to rain after many years living in Ireland.
- He hadn’t seen her in many years, but the adverse effects of drinking alcohol were clear from her appearance.
- With a healthy diet and plenty of exercise, the adverse effects will start to go away.
- She wasn’t averse to a little flirting as long as that’s all it was.
Punctuation Posts
How to Use an Ellipsis: Chicago vs. AP Style
En Dash vs. Em Dash: When and How to Use Them
How to Use an Apostrophe (and Mistakes You Need to Avoid)
How to Use Commas (and Mistakes to Avoid)
Colon vs. Semicolon: When and How to Use Them
How to Use Quotation Marks (and the Difference between Single Quotes vs. Double Quotes)
