Meaning & use

adverse

adjective·Academic

Harmful, unfavorable, or working against someone's interests or well-being.

See it in a sentence

The medication can cause adverse side effects in some patients.

Adverse weather conditions forced the airline to cancel dozens of flights.

A note on using this word

Adverse describes conditions or effects, while 'averse' describes a person's strong dislike; the two are often confused.

Words with a similar meaning

unfavorableharmful

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

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