Financial Times | March 15, 2021
"Global markets face adverse trading conditions as inflation fears mount"
Adverse vs. Averse
The '30 Seconds' Difference At A Glance
Adverse means harmful or unfavorable and usually describes situations or conditions. Averse means having a strong dislike or opposition to something and describes people's feelings or attitudes.
The hikers faced adverse weather conditions, and many were averse to continuing the trek.
A Deeper Look
Adverse describes negative or harmful situations that happen outside of you - things going wrong that you have to deal with. Think bad weather, side effects from medicine, or difficult conditions that make things harder.
The flight experienced adverse conditions due to the storm.
Some medications can have adverse effects like headaches or dizziness.
Averse (which is always followed by 'to') is all about personal feelings - when someone really doesn't want to do something or strongly dislikes it. If you're averse to something, you'll try to avoid it if you can.
My brother is averse to trying new foods - he sticks to what he knows.
Many investors are averse to risk and prefer safer options.
Quick tip: Think of adverse as "bad stuff happening" and averse as "really not wanting to do something." Remember, we're always averse to something.
The company faced adverse market conditions, but the CEO wasn't averse to taking bold risks to overcome them.
Common Usage Patterns
Adverse
adverse effects, adverse conditions, adverse impact, adverse reaction, adverse weather, adverse circumstances
Averse
risk-averse, averse to change, averse to conflict, not averse to, strongly averse
Key Patterns
Adverse is typically followed by a noun, while averse is usually followed by "to" and then what is being avoided
What Teachers Say
"'Averse' is about personal feelings - just like being 'nervous' is about feelings, being 'averse' is about your personal reaction to something."
-- Maria, Vancouver
"In business writing, 'adverse' often appears in reports about conditions, while 'averse' commonly appears in descriptions of investment strategies."
-- Michael, New York
From The Headlines
The Wall Street Journal | July 8, 2019
"Survey shows millennials increasingly averse to homeownership"
The Guardian | November 12, 2023
"Adverse weather patterns threaten crop yields across Midwest"
Test Yourself!
1. The medication may cause _______ side effects.
2. Many investors are _______ to taking unnecessary risks.
3. Despite the _______ market conditions, the new CEO wasn't _______ to making bold changes.
