Adverse

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈæd.və(ɹ)s/

Definitions

1. Harmful, unfavorable, or creating difficulty and opposition to one's interests or well-being
2. Detrimental or unfavorable in effect, leading to opposition and challenges to an individual's goals or health
3. Having a negative impact that complicates circumstances and opposes a person's well-being or objectives

Etymology: The notion of "turning toward" is built into this word's ancestry: "adverse" comes from Latin "adversus," meaning "turned against," the past participle of "advertere," which combines "ad-" ("to") with "vertere" ("to turn"). The same Latin root gave English "versus," so a word that now signals opposition started out as a simple picture of something turned to face you. The word reached English around 1374 by way of Old French "avers" (modern French "adverse"). Its earliest English sense was less about harm than about position: something set directly against you, facing you head-on. The idea of hostility and unfavorable circumstances developed from that opposing stance, so that a force "turned against" you became an adverse wind, an adverse ruling, or an adverse effect.

Synonyms: unfavorable, hostile, detrimental, harmful, negative

Antonyms: favorable, beneficial, advantageous, helpful, positive