The plain adversity meaning is serious difficulty or misfortune: illness, poverty, loss, failure, or a long run of bad luck. A family that rebuilds its shop after a flood, or a student who keeps studying while working night shifts, is facing adversity.
The word is usually a little formal. In casual talk people say a rough patch or hard times, while adversity appears in speeches, essays, job interviews, sports reports and scripture. It often comes paired with words about response: overcoming adversity, grace under adversity, strength in adversity.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Hardship, misfortune or an unfavourable situationPart of speech
Noun; plural adversitiesPronunciation
ad-VUR-si-teeRelated words
adverse (adjective), adversary (noun), adversarialOrigin
Old French adversite, from Latin adversitas, from adversus (turned against)Opposite
prosperity, good fortune, easeRegister
Formal to neutral
Adversity meaning and definition
A working adversity definition: a state or event of hardship that pushes against your plans or wellbeing. Two shades are common.
- A condition. Uncountable, describing a whole stretch of life: She grew up in adversity.
- A single blow. Countable, usually plural: the adversities of the first year in a new country.
The word focuses on the outside pressure. How a person responds is described by other words, such as resilience, grit or perseverance.
Example sentences with adversity
- The farmers faced adversity after two dry monsoons in a row.
- In the interview, she described how adversity at her first startup taught her to keep cash in reserve.
- Our coach says character shows in adversity, not in easy wins.
- The charity supports young people who have faced adversity at home.
- Despite every adversity, the little theatre has opened its doors each winter.
Adversity meaning in the Bible
English Bibles, especially older translations, use adversity for times of distress, trouble or calamity. The Hebrew words behind it often carry ideas of distress, being hemmed in, or harm. A few well-known places:
- Proverbs 17:17 contrasts a friend who loves at all times with a brother who is born for adversity, meaning family proves itself in hard days.
- Proverbs 24:10 warns that losing heart in the day of adversity shows limited strength.
- Ecclesiastes 7:14 advises enjoying good days and reflecting in bad ones, since both come.
- Isaiah 30:20 speaks of the bread of adversity and the water of affliction.
Jewish and Christian readers commonly take these passages as teaching patience, trust and loyalty during hardship. Wording differs between translations, so newer versions may say trouble or distress instead. For other scripture vocabulary, browse our religious word hub.
Adverse, averse and adversary
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adversity | Hardship (noun) | She kept smiling through adversity. |
| Adverse | Harmful, unfavourable (adjective) | Adverse weather delayed the flight. |
| Averse | Unwilling, disliking (adjective) | He is averse to early meetings. |
| Adversary | An opponent or enemy (noun) | Her adversary in the debate spoke first. |
The common slip is writing adverse to risk when you mean averse to risk. Situations are adverse; people are averse.
History of the word
Latin adversus meant turned toward, and from there facing against or hostile. From it came adversitas, and Old French passed adversite into Middle English. The picture is of luck or circumstances turning to face you as an opponent, which links adversity to adversary.
Using the word naturally
Typical verbs: face, meet, endure, overcome, rise above, triumph over. Typical adjectives: great, personal, financial, early. Note the prepositions: in adversity (during it) and through adversity (all the way across it).
Be careful in college essays and cover letters. Admissions readers see the phrase overcoming adversity often, so specific details about what happened and what you did will say far more than the word itself. The positive opposite is prosperity.
Frequently asked questions
How do you define adversity simply?
To define adversity simply, call it a hard time or a serious misfortune. Losing a job, an illness or a natural disaster can all count.
Is adversity a negative word?
The thing it names is negative, but the word often appears in hopeful sentences about strength and recovery. People talk about growth after adversity as much as about the hardship.
What does the Bible say about adversity?
Several Bible passages, mostly in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, mention adversity as a normal part of life that tests friendship, faith and patience. Readers from different traditions draw lessons of trust and endurance from them.
Can adversity be plural?
Yes. Adversities refers to separate hardships, such as the adversities of moving to a new city. The singular is more common when describing a general state.
What is the opposite of adversity?
Prosperity and good fortune are the usual opposites. Ease and comfort also fit in daily speech.
Adversity or adversary: how do they differ?
Adversity is hardship; an adversary is an opponent, a person or group working against you. The two share a Latin ancestor meaning turned against.