averse
Often confused with adverse
- 1Having a strong dislike of something, or a feeling of opposition to it.
Many voters are averse to any new tax, however small.
He has always been averse to speaking in public, even at family gatherings.
Similarreluctant, unwilling, disinclined, loath
Note
The word pictures a mind turned away: it comes from Latin aversus, the past participle of avertere, "to avert", and the literal "turned away" sense still shows the image plainly. It takes to, followed by a noun or an -ing form: averse to him, averse to any kind of disturbance, averse to speaking in public. Loath, reluctant and disinclined sit close beside it.
- 2Turned away, or facing or pointing backward.
The tracks averse a lying notice gave, / And led the searcher backward from the cave.
1697, Virgil, The Works of VirgilNote
Direction is the meaning here, not feeling: the plain turning-away behind the sense of dislike. John Dryden's translation of Virgil (1697) uses it of tracks laid backward to mislead a searcher, with the adjective placed after its noun: "The tracks averse a lying notice gave." Read it this way when averse describes a physical thing rather than a person.
- 3In heraldry, describing a hand turned so that its back faces the viewer.
The family crest bears a hand averse holding a broken sword.
Their arms show a dexter hand averse in black on a silver field.
Note
A term of blazon, the formal language that describes a coat of arms, where it means the same as aversant. Like many heraldic adjectives it follows its noun: a hand averse, a dexter hand averse. It tells whoever paints the arms to show the back of the hand rather than the palm.
Less common meanings
- 4Lying on the opposite side of something; used with to or from.
Note
Position is the meaning here, and it has fallen out of use: what is averse lies across from something, with to or from naming what. Because the sense of dislike also takes to, a phrase like averse to the town in an older text may need a second look; the surroundings usually show whether place or feeling is meant.
- 5To turn something away, so that it faces in another direction.
Showing meanings only.
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Origin
From Latin aversus, the past participle of avertere ("to avert").