adverse, contrary
(adjective) in an opposing direction; “adverse currents”; “a contrary wind”
adverse, inauspicious, untoward
(adjective) contrary to your interests or welfare; “adverse circumstances”; “made a place for themselves under the most untoward conditions”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
adverse (comparative adverser, superlative adversest)
Unfavorable; antagonistic in purpose or effect; hostile; actively opposing one's interests or wishes; contrary to one's welfare; acting against; working in an opposing direction.
Opposed; contrary; opposing one's interests or desire.
(not comparable) Opposite; confronting.
Adverse is sometimes confused with averse, though the meanings are somewhat different. Adverse most often refers to things, denoting something that is in opposition to someone's interests — something one might refer to as an adversity or adversary — (adverse winds; an attitude adverse to our ideals). Averse usually refers to people, and implies one has a distaste, disinclination, or aversion toward something (a leader averse to war; an investor averse to risk taking). Averse is most often used with "to" in a construction like "I am averse to…". Adverse shows up less often in this type of construction, describing a person instead of a thing, and should carry a meaning of "actively opposed to" rather than "has an aversion to".
• Deavers, Deveras, aversed, dreaves, evaders, re-saved, resaved, veredas
Source: Wiktionary
Ad"verse, a. Etym: [OE. advers, OF. avers, advers, fr. L. adversus, p. p. advertere to turn to. See Advert.]
1. Acting against, or in a contrary direction; opposed; contrary; opposite; conflicting; as, adverse winds; an adverse party; a spirit adverse to distinctions of caste.
2. Opposite. "Calpe's adverse height." Byron.
3. In hostile opposition to; unfavorable; unpropitious; contrary to one's wishes; unfortunate; calamitous; afflictive; hurtful; as, adverse fates, adverse circumstances, things adverse. Happy were it for us all if we bore prosperity as well and wisely as we endure an adverse fortune. Southey. Adverse possession (Law), a possession of real property avowedly contrary to some claim of title in another person. Abbott.
Syn.
– Averse; reluctant; unwilling. See Averse.
Ad*verse", v. t. Etym: [L. adversari: cf. OF. averser.]
Definition: To oppose; to resist. [Obs.] Gower.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
30 May 2025
(noun) (sports) a return made with the palm of the hand facing the direction of the stroke (as in tennis or badminton or squash)
The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch “koffie,” borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish “kahve,” borrowed in turn from the Arabic “qahwah.” The Arabic word qahwah was traditionally held to refer to a type of wine.
