Averse: Expressing Strong Dislike or Unwillingness
This video explains the GRE vocabulary word ‘averse’, which means having a strong dislike, opposition, or unwillingness towards something. It provides the word type, meaning, word history, antonyms, synonyms, example sentences, and common errors in usage.
Imagine you’re at a party, and someone offers you a slice of anchovy pizza. You immediately wrinkle your nose and politely decline.
This reaction perfectly illustrates today’s GRE vocabulary word: averse. Averse, spelled A V E R S E, is an adjective that describes a strong feeling of opposition, dislike, or unwillingness towards something.
Word type: Adjective
Meaning: Averse means having a strong dislike, opposition, or unwillingness to something.
It often implies an ingrained or long-standing distaste rather than a temporary feeling.
Word history:
The word averse comes from the Latin aversus, meaning turned away from. It entered the English language in the sixteenth century and has maintained its core meaning of opposition or dislike ever since.
Antonyms: Some antonyms of averse include fond, keen, eager, and inclined. These words express positive feelings or willingness, in contrast to the negative connotation of averse.
Synonyms: Synonyms for averse include opposed, unwilling, disinclined, and reluctant. These words all convey a sense of resistance or disinclination towards something.
Examples use in sentences: Here are a few examples of how to use averse in sentences: The risk-averse investor preferred stable, low-yield bonds over volatile stocks.
Many cats are averse to water and will do anything to avoid getting wet. Despite being averse to public speaking, Sarah agreed to give a presentation at the conference.
Common errors in use: One common mistake is confusing averse with adverse. While averse describes a feeling or attitude, adverse means unfavorable or harmful, often used to describe conditions or events.
For example, adverse weather conditions can delay flights, but a person might be averse to flying in stormy weather.
Another error is using averse without the preposition to. Typically, averse is followed by to, as in averse to change or averse to taking risks.
To sum up, averse is a powerful word that expresses a strong dislike or unwillingness. Whether you’re describing someone’s attitude towards risk, change, or even anchovy pizza, averse is a valuable addition to your GRE vocabulary arsenal.
Remember its connection to being turned away from something, and you’ll be well-equipped to use it correctly in your writing and speech.
