English Reference
Noun

aversion

n. C / U
C1 Advanced US /əˈvɝʒən/ UK /ɐvˈɜːʃən/ aver·sion UK spelling aversion's, aversion's

n.a strong feeling of not liking something and wanting to avoid it. You use this when you really do not want to do or see something.

n.a strong feeling of dislike or opposition toward something, often resulting in avoidance. Frequently followed by the preposition 'to'.


SIMPLE

He has a strong aversion to public speaking.

CONTEXTUAL

Many people develop a temporary aversion to certain foods after experiencing a bout of food poisoning.

COMPLEX

Her deep-seated aversion to risk-taking prevented the company from expanding into emerging markets, despite the potential for significant long-term growth.

Usage

Commonly takes the preposition 'to' or 'towards'.

Pitfall
an aversion for spidersan aversion to spiders

While 'for' is occasionally seen, 'to' is the standard preposition used with this noun.

Participants opting for larger investment amounts generally displayed higher levels of financial literacy, somewhat greater financial experience and lower risk aversion.

Phys.org· 25 Aug 2026

This very aversion to grief, in fact, gives musicals a kind of camouflaged protection for grief.

JSTOR Daily· 8 Jul 2026

Learned borrowing from Latin āversiō, āversiōnem. Doublet of aversio.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated