Adverse and averse often are confused because both imply something negative while sounding very similar. But as with the way these words are spelled, so there also is a subtle difference in their meanings.

Adverse means unfavorable or harmful, as in Mary suffered an adverse reaction to the medication.

Averse means strongly dislikes or opposes, as in A lifelong Republican, Sam had an averse response to the Democratic speaker.

Now that you know the difference between these two words, editors no longer should have an adverse response to your writing simply because they are averse to poor grammar.

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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past decade, I’ve helped more than 300 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of the 7 Minutes a Day… writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.