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Averse means strongly opposed to or having a feeling of strong dislike toward something, as in I’m extremely averse to taking on debt. Adverse most commonly means unfavorable or hostile, as in adverse conditions, adverse weather, or adverse criticism.

Averse is often used in negative constructions, as in We are not averse to negotiations. It’s also used in the term risk-averse, meaning reluctant to take risks or tending to avoid risk.

Confusion can arise between the two terms because both are adjectives that involve unfavorableness or opposition. However, averse typically describes the way someone feels toward something, while adverse typically describes circumstances.

One way to remember which word is which is to remember that adverse, in a very general sense, means bad, which rhymes with the first part of the word. On the other hand, when you’re averse to something, you have a very strong opposition to it.

It may also be helpful to remember that the noun form of averse is aversion, meaning a strong feeling of dislike or opposition. The noun form of adverse is adversity, which means hostile or unfavorable conditions.

Here’s an example of adverse and averse used correctly in a sentence.

Example: I’m not averse to taking risks for the sake of adventure, but I just don’t think it’s safe to skydive in such adverse weather.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between averse and adverse.

Should averse or adverse be used in the following sentence?

The medication had some _____ effects.