adverse
/ˈæd.və(ɹ)s/adjective
adverse is spelled A-D-V-E-R-S-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 7.8 times per million words in written English, the 8,417th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “adverse vs averse” about 4,400 times a month (Google, United States). As an adjective, adverse means “Unfavorable; antagonistic in purpose or effect; hostile; actively opposing one's interests or wishes; contrary to one's welfare; acting against…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in adverse?
| Letters | 7: A-D-V-E-R-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 7.8 times per million words; the 8,417th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How common is adverse?
Adverse appears 7.8 times per million words in written English, the 8,417th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce adverse?
- /ˈæd.və(ɹ)s/
- /ədˈvɜ(ɹ)s/
Adverse has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-adverse.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with adverse
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of adverse
- more adverse comparative
- most adverse superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does adverse mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 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
- 2
Opposed; contrary; opposing one's interests or desire.
adverse circumstances
- 3
Opposite; confronting.
the adverse page
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Adverse in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | défavorable |
| German | widrig , gegnerisch |
| Portuguese | adverso, desfavorável , contrário , oposto |
| Spanish | adverso |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does adverse come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).