diff --git a/hgext/mq.py b/hgext/mq.py
--- a/hgext/mq.py
+++ b/hgext/mq.py
@@ -1129,7 +1129,7 @@ class queue(object):
             self.ui.write(_("no patches applied\n"))
             return
         qp = self.qparents(repo, top)
-        if opts.get('inverse'):
+        if opts.get('reverse'):
             node1, node2 = None, qp
         else:
             node1, node2 = qp, None
diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@ def diff(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
     revs = opts.get('rev')
     change = opts.get('change')
     stat = opts.get('stat')
-    inv = opts.get('inverse')
+    reverse = opts.get('reverse')
 
     if revs and change:
         msg = _('cannot specify --rev and --change at the same time')
@@ -1110,7 +1110,7 @@ def diff(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
     else:
         node1, node2 = cmdutil.revpair(repo, revs)
 
-    if inv:
+    if reverse:
         node1, node2 = node2, node1
 
     if stat:
@@ -3284,7 +3284,7 @@ diffopts = [
 
 diffopts2 = [
     ('p', 'show-function', None, _('show which function each change is in')),
-    ('', 'inverse', None, _('produce a diff that undoes the changes')),
+    ('', 'reverse', None, _('produce a diff that undoes the changes')),
     ('w', 'ignore-all-space', None,
      _('ignore white space when comparing lines')),
     ('b', 'ignore-space-change', None,
diff --git a/tests/test-debugcomplete.out b/tests/test-debugcomplete.out
--- a/tests/test-debugcomplete.out
+++ b/tests/test-debugcomplete.out
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ add: include, exclude, dry-run
 annotate: rev, follow, text, user, date, number, changeset, line-number, include, exclude
 clone: noupdate, updaterev, rev, pull, uncompressed, ssh, remotecmd
 commit: addremove, close-branch, include, exclude, message, logfile, date, user
-diff: rev, change, text, git, nodates, show-function, inverse, ignore-all-space, ignore-space-change, ignore-blank-lines, unified, stat, include, exclude
+diff: rev, change, text, git, nodates, show-function, reverse, ignore-all-space, ignore-space-change, ignore-blank-lines, unified, stat, include, exclude
 export: output, switch-parent, text, git, nodates
 forget: include, exclude
 init: ssh, remotecmd
diff --git a/tests/test-diff-inverse b/tests/test-diff-reverse
rename from tests/test-diff-inverse
rename to tests/test-diff-reverse
--- a/tests/test-diff-inverse
+++ b/tests/test-diff-reverse
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@ f
 EOF
 hg ci -m moda
 
-hg diff --inverse -r0 -r1
+hg diff --reverse -r0 -r1
 
 cat >> a <<EOF
 g
 h
 EOF
-hg diff --inverse --nodates
+hg diff --reverse --nodates
diff --git a/tests/test-diff-inverse.out b/tests/test-diff-reverse.out
rename from tests/test-diff-inverse.out
rename to tests/test-diff-reverse.out
diff --git a/tests/test-help.out b/tests/test-help.out
--- a/tests/test-help.out
+++ b/tests/test-help.out
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ options:
  -g --git                  use git extended diff format
     --nodates              don't include dates in diff headers
  -p --show-function        show which function each change is in
-    --inverse              produce a diff that undoes the changes
+    --reverse              produce a diff that undoes the changes
  -w --ignore-all-space     ignore white space when comparing lines
  -b --ignore-space-change  ignore changes in the amount of white space
  -B --ignore-blank-lines   ignore changes whose lines are all blank
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-qdiff b/tests/test-mq-qdiff
--- a/tests/test-mq-qdiff
+++ b/tests/test-mq-qdiff
@@ -58,5 +58,5 @@ hg qdiff --nodates -U 1 -B
 echo % qdiff -w
 hg qdiff --nodates -w
 
-echo % qdiff --inverse
-hg qdiff --nodates --inverse
+echo % qdiff --reverse
+hg qdiff --nodates --reverse
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-qdiff.out b/tests/test-mq-qdiff.out
--- a/tests/test-mq-qdiff.out
+++ b/tests/test-mq-qdiff.out
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ diff -r 35fb829491c1 lines
  1
  2
  3
-% qdiff --inverse
+% qdiff --reverse
 diff -r 35fb829491c1 lines
 --- a/lines
 +++ b/lines