adverse

adjective

ad-ˈvərs How to pronounce adverse (audio)
Definition of adversenext
1
as in unfavorable
opposed to one's interests all the adverse publicity really caused the movie star's popularity to suffer

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detrimental
causing or capable of causing harm the adverse effects of the drug are too severe to allow it to be marketed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adverse Studies have shown that too much milk can lead to obesity and even cardiovascular disease and can have adverse effects on overall mortality. — Fatma Tanis, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 To report adverse reactions to the FDA, consumers can visit the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 The second is that patients with high-risk conditions are also being forced to continue — often resulting in adverse outcomes for their pregnancies. — David N. Hackney, STAT, 26 Aug. 2026 The unregulated status quo is unlikely to hold as volume grows and adverse events accumulate. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for adverse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adverse
  1. unfavorable
  2. detrimental
  3. negative
  4. harmful
  5. hostile
  6. damaging
  7. dangerous
  8. bad
Adjective
  • Affirm left Australia in 2023 shortly after unfavorable macroeconomic conditions prompted the company to lay off 19 percent of its workforce.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Polling has consistently shown most voters have an unfavorable view of both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
    — Clara Hendrickson, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of unfavorable
Adjective
  • Being full of yourself isn’t detrimental but necessary for survival.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The settlement also requires limits on features that some experts believe are detrimental to teenagers’ self-esteem and self-image.
    — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of detrimental
Adjective
  • And as the backlash to generative AI continues to grow, especially in creative fields, those attempts are bringing in far more negative than positive attention.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026
  • At least twice each fiscal year, school boards review updated financial projections and classify their districts’ fiscal health as positive, qualified or negative, after which county superintendents review each certification and may downgrade it.
    — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of negative
Adjective
  • But fasted training isn’t necessarily harmful to muscle gain, Maroldi adds.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • What’s considered harmful to minors can be subjective, and this is where experts believe laws requiring age verification can run afoul of the First Amendment.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of harmful
Adjective
  • Kuwait's army said its air defence systems were targeting hostile missile and drone attacks.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Some recent laws, including the Safer Skies Act of 2025, grant state and local agencies (though not private-sector entities) greater license to detect and track hostile drones.
    — Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • It’s also infused with an antioxidant-rich blend of Australian botanicals and a blue light complex to help protect skin from the damaging blue light emitted by screens and devices.
    — Alison Abbey Hudak, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Hamza Iqbal, 20; Rehan Khan, 19; Judex Atshatshi; and Saif Ali, both 18, faced a charge of destroying or damaging property and of being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of damaging
Adjective
  • Heaping credit onto Espada is dangerous, but so is blaming him for every game that goes awry.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a dangerous prospect for any country, but especially for Singapore, crammed into a space smaller than New York City.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • The accident was one of the Portuguese capital’s worst tragedies in recent memory and cast a shadow over the city’s ongoing tourism boom.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The must-read Falling during a hike can lead to a serious injury, or even worse.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bad

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adversary
adverse
adversely
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Cite this Entry

“Adverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adverse. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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