averse
averse Lexical Profile
averse Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Having a strong dislike of or opposition to something; disinclined or reluctant (usually followed by "to").
"Conservative investors are generally averse to taking unnecessary financial risks."
Turned away from the main stem or axis (used in botany to describe the orientation of a leaf or organ).
"The botanist noted the averse orientation of the lower leaves along the stalk."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Averse" (meaning strongly disliking or opposed to) is frequently confused with "adverse" (meaning unfavorable or harmful); typically, people are "averse to" things, whereas conditions or effects are "adverse." Additionally, "averse" is used almost exclusively as a predicate adjective followed by the preposition "to."
• Rhymes for averse
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from Latin aversus, the past participle of avertere ("to turn away"), formed from ab- ("from, away") and vertere ("to turn").