different between adverse vs adversary

English

Etymology

First attested around 1374, from Old French avers (French adverse), from Latin adversus (“turned against”), past participle of advertere, from ad- (“to”) + vertere (“to turn”). See also versus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?æd.v?(?)s/, /?d?v?(?)s/

Adjective

adverse (comparative adverser, superlative adversest)

1. 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.

   adverse criticism

   • 1829, Robert Southey, Sir Thomas More; or, Colloquies on the Progress and Prospects of Society

     Happy were it for us all if we bore prosperity as well and wisely as we endure an adverse fortune.
2. Opposed; contrary; opposing one's interests or desire.

3. (not comparable) Opposite; confronting.
   • 1809, Lord Byron, English Bards and Scotch Reviewers, Google Books

     Calpe's adverse height / […] must greet my sight

Usage notes

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".

Derived terms

• adversely
• adverseness
• adverse possession
• adverse yaw

Antonyms

• proverse

Related terms

• adversary
• adversative
• adversity
• versus

Translations

See also

• averse

Anagrams

• Deavers, Deveras, aversed, dreaves, evaders, re-saved, resaved, veredas

French

Etymology

From Latin adversus (“against, opposite”).

Adjective

adverse (plural adverses)

1. adverse

Further reading

• “adverse” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• déversa

Latin

Participle

adverse

1. vocative masculine singular of adversus

References

• adverse in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• adverse in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

Spanish

Verb

adverse

1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of adversar.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of adversar.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of adversar.
4. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of adversar.

English

Etymology

From Middle English adversarie, from Anglo-Norman aversaire (in Wace's Life of Saint Margaret) and Old French aversier, aversaire (French adversaire), from Latin advers?rius, from adversus (“turned toward”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?æd.v?.s(?)?i/, /?æd.v?.s??i/, /æd?v??.s?.?i/, /?d?v??.s?.?i/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?æd.v??.s??i/

Noun

adversary (plural adversaries)

1. An opponent or rival.

Synonyms

• villain, antagonist

Antonyms

• hero, ally

Derived terms

• adversarial

Related terms

• adverse
• adversarially

Translations

References