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Adverse vs Averse

Adverseadjective

contrary to your interests or welfare

Full entry for Adverse

Averseadjective

strongly opposed

Full entry for Averse

The difference

Adverse describes conditions — unfavourable, harmful. Averse describes a person's feeling — strongly opposed. Adverse weather; averse to risk.

How to keep them apart

You are averse to something; conditions are simply adverse. If there is a "to" and a person, it is averse.

Other pairs worth knowing

All confused pairs · SAT list · GRE list · Full word list