Averse vs. Adverse

Averse vs. Adverse Averse vs. Adverse Averse vs. Adverse By Sharon It is easy to confuse adverse and averse but their meanings are totally different. Adverse means unfavorable, contrary or hostile, and can never be applied to humans. You often hear it used in the term adverse weather conditions, a phrase which is best avoided in favor of bad weather. Averse means unwilling or disinclined or loath and is always followed by the preposition to. It applies to a person and is used like this: He was averse to discussing the conference. Of course, it would be just as easy to say. He didnt want to discuss the conference. Overuse of both averse and adverse is likely to sound pompous. Its always better to keep it simple. The adjective aversion is much more common. Here are some quotations from the press to help you see those words being used it in context: But in fact, adolescents may be more risk-averse than adults, a new study has found. Their willingness to engage in risky behavior may have less to do with thrill-seeking per se than with a higher tolerance for uncertain consequences, researchers reported Monday. LA Times Many merger agreements contain provisions allowing buyers to withdraw from deals if the value of a transaction has been hurt by a significant development. In the case of the Verizon/Yahoo deal, such a change is defined as one that would â€Å"reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, assets, properties, results of operation or financial condition of the Business, taken as a whole.† WSJ Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Redundant Phrases to AvoidThe Letter "Z" Will Be Removed from the English Alphabet1,462 Basic Plot Types