Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ADVERSE

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explore the archives: The Latin root for "turn," vertere, shows up in oh-so-many of our words, including today's. Adverse describes situations that are turned against you. And vert_____ous describes dizzy, quick-changing things that seem to turn around and around. make your point with... "ADVERSE" Adverse things, such as adverse conditions and adverse circumstances, are harmful, unhelpful, or undesirable. In other words, something adverse gets in the way of success, happiness, or health. Pronunciation: add VERSE Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "an adverse thing." This is the way we almost always use "adverse." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was adverse." We rarely use "adverse" this way.) Other forms: The adverb is "adversely," which I don't recommend because it sets you up for wordiness. Instead of saying "adversely affect" or "adversely impact," you can just say "hurt"--or better yet, something more specific, like "sicken," "weaken," "shrink," or "kill." The noun is "adversity," and it's both countable ("these adversities") and uncountable ("such adversity"). Closely related is "adversary," another word for "opponent" or "enemy." How to use it: Most often, we talk about adverse conditions, circumstances, and situations; adverse trends; an adverse environment; adverse reactions (the kind your body experiences, as in "he had an adverse reaction to the drug"); and adverse effects, impacts, outcomes, and consequences. Less often, we talk about adverse events and experiences. (For example, the phrase "adverse childhood experiences" refers to things like abuse and neglect.) You might find it better to use the noun "adversity" instead of the phrases "adverse events" and "adverse experiences." Occasionally, we'll say that something is adverse to someone or something else: "the process is adverse to the economy," "the outcome was adverse to the causes we cared about," "conditions were adverse to the bees' pollination." But be careful: say that the harmful thing is adverse to the thing being harmed. Don't reverse that. "I'm adverse to high humidity" is incorrect; it should be "High humidity is adverse to me." People make this error because, understandably, they mix up the words "adverse" and "averse." When you're averse to something, it bothers you or you strongly dislike it. "I'm averse to high humidity." That's better! examples: Rewarding kids with stickers or treats for doing their homework can be effective in the short term; research suggests, though, that in the long term it may have adverse effects. I'm not a doctor, but my best guess is that the headaches and exhaustion were an adverse reaction to the unrelenting heat. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "adverse" means when you can explain it without saying "detrimental" or "like forces that are working against you." try it out: Think of a struggle or a difficult situation that helped you learn something, or helped you strengthen a relationship, or made you a stronger person. Fill in the blanks: "(Something bad happened), an adversity that (had some good effect)." Example: "In our mid-twenties, we both lost one of our parents to cancer, an adversity that brought us closer and reminded us to value every day of life."  before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing with the original and literal meanings of familiar words. I'll give you three words and their original or literal definitions, and you'll match them up. Easy! But then the following day, see if you can recall those old meanings. Hard! :) Our game has two purposes. One, we'll visit the interesting, thought-provoking old meanings of words. And two, we'll remind ourselves of a powerful learning strategy: delayed recalling. Let's play! First, try to recall from yesterday the original meanings of "concentrate" and "globe" and the literal meaning of "improve." Answers appear at the bottom of this issue. Next, match these words to their original or literal definitions in the answer bank below: 1. "Grin" originally meant _____ 2. "Manga" literally means _____ 3. "Endure" originally meant _____ Answer bank: A. "a snare, or to catch in a snare." B. "to harden." C. "aimless pictures." review today's word: 1. The opposite of ADVERSE is A. ADVANTAGEOUS B. MARRING C. ELITE 2. Trying to _____, she described their _____ as "adversely impacted." A. generate some enthusiasm .. upcoming camping trip B. soften the blow .. investment portfolio C. be precise .. new home Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to game questions: 1. "Concentrate" originally meant "to bring toward the center." 2. "Improve" literally means "to turn a profit." 3. "Globe" originally meant "any round thing." Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. B