Adverse — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ad-ˈvərs/ ad·verse

Meaning & Definition of Adverse

Adverse (adjective)

  1. acting against or in a contrary direction, hostile
  2. opposed to one's interests; especially, unfavorable
  3. causing harm, harmful

Adverse (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. opposed to one's interests

    "all the adverse publicity really caused the movie star's popularity to suffer"

    similar: counter, disadvantageous, hostile, inimical, negative, prejudicial, unfavorable, unfriendly, unsympathetic, untoward
    related: bad, baleful, baneful, evil, damaging, deleterious, destructive, detrimental, fatal, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, lethal, malignant, murderous, noxious, pernicious, poisonous, ruinous, threatening, troublesome, unhealthy, wounding, dangerous, hazardous, imperiling, jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, unsafe, calumnious, defamatory, detractive, offensive, scathing, slanderous, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, intolerant, uncongenial, uncooperative, competing, conflicting, counteracting, countering, opposing, resistant, resisting
    opposite: advantageous, favorable, friendly, positive, supportive, sympathetic, well-disposed
    near: beneficial, good, helpful, propitious, useful, harmless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, nondestructive, nonfatal, nonlethal, nonthreatening, unresistant, tolerant, understanding, affable, agreeable, amiable, amicable, benign, benignant, complying, congenial, cordial, friendly, hospitable

  2. causing or capable of causing harm

    "the adverse effects of the drug are too severe to allow it to be marketed"

    similar: bad, baleful, baneful, damaging, dangerous, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous, nocuous, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial, wicked
    related: hostile, inimical, unfriendly, contagious, deadly, infectious, infective, pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, poisonous, venomous, insidious, menacing, ominous, sinister, threatening, hazardous, imperiling, jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, unsafe, unsound, nasty, noisome, unhealthful, unhealthy, unwholesome, destructive, fatal, killer, lethal, malignant, ruinous
    opposite: anodyne, benign, harmless, hurtless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, safe
    near: advantageous, beneficial, useful, favorable, good, propitious, curative, healthful, healthy, helpful, palliative, remedial, salubrious, salutary, wholesome, secure, sound, benignant, noncorrosive, nondestructive, nonfatal, noninfectious, nonlethal, nonpoisonous, nonpolluting, nontoxic, nonvenomous

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Adverse

The most common words with a similar meaning to Adverse:

counter, disadvantageous, hostile, inimical, negative, prejudicial, unfavorable, unfriendly, unsympathetic, untoward, bad, baleful, baneful, damaging, dangerous, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous, nocuous, noxious, pernicious, wicked

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Adverse

Words with the opposite meaning of Adverse:

advantageous, favorable, friendly, positive, supportive, sympathetic, well-disposed, anodyne, benign, harmless, hurtless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, safe

Related Words for Adverse

destructive, fatal, lethal, malignant, murderous, poisonous, ruinous, threatening, troublesome, unhealthy, wounding, hazardous, imperiling, jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, unsafe, calumnious, defamatory, detractive, offensive, scathing, slanderous, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, intolerant, uncongenial, uncooperative

Near Antonyms of Adverse

beneficial, good, helpful, propitious, useful, nondestructive, nonfatal, nonlethal, nonthreatening, unresistant, tolerant, understanding, affable, agreeable, amiable, amicable, benignant, complying, congenial, cordial, hospitable, curative, healthful, healthy, palliative, remedial, salubrious, salutary, wholesome, secure

Word Forms of Adverse

Derived words: adverseness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Adverse

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French advers, borrowed from Latin adversus "turned toward, facing, opposed," from past participle of advertere "to turn toward, direct" advert:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Adverse

Frequently Asked Questions about Adverse

What does "Adverse" mean?

"Adverse" means acting against or in a contrary direction, hostile. As an adjective, it is defined as: acting against or in a contrary direction, hostile. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Adverse"?

Other words for "Adverse" include counter, disadvantageous, hostile, inimical, negative, prejudicial, unfavorable and unfriendly. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Adverse" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Adverse"?

There are 82 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Adverse". Common alternatives include counter, disadvantageous, hostile, inimical, negative, prejudicial, unfavorable, unfriendly, unsympathetic and untoward.

What is the opposite of "Adverse"?

Antonyms of "Adverse" include advantageous, favorable, friendly, positive, supportive, sympathetic, well-disposed and anodyne. Near antonyms include beneficial, good, helpful and propitious.

How do you use "Adverse" in a sentence?

Examples of "Adverse" in a sentence: "all the adverse publicity really caused the movie star's popularity to suffer"; "the adverse effects of the drug are too severe to allow it to be marketed".

Is "Adverse" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Adverse" is an adjective.

Is "Adverse" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Adverse" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Adverse"?

"Adverse" is pronounced /ad-ˈvərs/ and divided into syllables as ad·verse.