Averse means having a strong dislike for something or being unwilling to do it. When you're averse to something, you actively want to avoid it.

If you're averse to getting up early, you don't just prefer sleeping in: you really dislike early mornings and try to avoid them when possible. Someone who's risk-averse doesn't just prefer safety; they actively avoid taking chances. A student might be averse to public speaking, meaning they strongly dislike it and would rather do almost anything else.

The word suggests more than casual preference. You might prefer chocolate ice cream over vanilla, but you're probably not averse to vanilla. Being averse means you have a genuine reluctance or opposition. A person averse to conflict will go out of their way to avoid arguments, even when standing up for themselves is important.

People often confuse averse with adverse, which means harmful or unfavorable. Remember: you can be averse to adverse conditions. You're averse to things you want to avoid; adverse describes things that are actually harmful or difficult.