negative

1 marked by opposition or ill will classes that hopefully will change the negative attitude that some students have toward the recent immigrants Synonyms of negative adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, inimical, jaundiced, mortal, hostile, unfriendly, unsympatheticWords Related to negative adverse, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, clashing, combative, conflicting, contentious, contrary, disputatious, militant, opposed, pugnacious, quarrelsome, resisting, scrappy, truculent; antisocial, cold, cool, disagreeable, disapproving, distant, frigid, icy; biased, prejudiced; discourteous, ill-bred, ill-mannered, impertinent, impolite, inconsiderate, rude, surly, uncivil, unfavorable, unkind, unmannerly, unpleasant, unsociable; acrimonious, bitter, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, opprobrious, rancorous, spiteful, unloving, vindictive, virulentNear Antonyms of negative affable, amiable, amicable, civil, companionable, comradely, convivial, cordial, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, gregarious, neighborly, pleasant, sociable, social, warm; affectionate, devoted, kind, kindly, loving, nice, sweet; accepting, agreeable, approving, benign, empathetic, favorable, understanding, warmhearted, welcomingAntonyms of negative friendly, hospitable, nonantagonistic, nonhostile, sympathetic

2 opposed to one's interests the almost universally negative reaction to the book Synonyms of negative counter, disadvantageous, hostile, inimical, adverse, prejudicial, unfavorable, unfriendly, unsympathetic, untowardWords Related to negative bad, baleful, baneful, evil; damaging, deleterious, destructive, detrimental, fatal, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, lethal, malignant, murderous, noxious, pernicious, poisonous, ruinous, threatening, troublesome, unhealthy, wounding; dangerous, hazardous, imperiling (or imperilling), jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, unsafe; calumnious, defamatory, detractive, offensive, scathing, slanderous; antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, intolerant, uncongenial, uncooperative; competing, conflicting, counteracting, countering, opposing, resistant, resistingNear Antonyms of negative beneficial, good, helpful, propitious, useful; harmless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, nondestructive, nonfatal, nonlethal, nonthreatening; unresistant; tolerant, understanding; affable, agreeable, amiable, amicable, benign, benignant, complying, congenial, cordial, friendly, hospitableAntonyms of negative advantageous, favorable, friendly, positive, supportive, sympathetic, well-disposed

1 a vote or decision against something in the absence of an unambiguous negative from the commander, we decided to continue on the mission Synonyms of negative nay, no, non placetWords Related to negative con; blackball, veto; denial, negation, refusalNear Antonyms of negative pro; acceptance, approval, graceAntonyms of negative positive, yea, yes

2 something that is as different as possible from something else the desire to control another person is actually the negative of real love Synonyms of negative antipode, antithesis, contrary, counter, opposite, obverse, reverseWords Related to negative negation; antonym; counterpoint; converse, inverse, mirror imageNear Antonyms of negative synonym; analogue (or analog), counterpart; carbon copy, copy, duplicate, replica

3 a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success the main negative of this job is that I have to get up at 4:30 a.m. Synonyms of negative debit, disbenefit, downside, drawback, handicap, incommodity, liability, minus, disadvantage, strikeWords Related to negative albatross, millstone, stranglehold; disability, impairment; failing, shortcoming; bar, catch, check, clog, crimp, embarrassment, hindrance, hitch, hurdle, impediment, interference, let, manacle, obstacle, obstruction, rub, shackle, stop, trammelNear Antonyms of negative vantage; head start, jump, lead, margin, start; ascendancy (also ascendency), better, command, control, drop, mastery, predominance, superiority, supremacy, transcendence, upper hand; prerogative, privilege; break, opportunity; aid, assistance, helpAntonyms of negative advantage, asset, edge, plus

1 to reject by or as if by a vote although the rebuttal was very eloquent, the jury negatived it in favor of the prosecution's argument we promptly negatived the idea of having pizza again for dinner, noting that we had already had it for three nights that week Synonyms of negative blackball, down, kill, nix, shoot down, veto Words Related to negative decline, disallow, disapprove, dismiss, refuse; blacklist Near Antonyms of negative admit, allow, approve, assent (to), pass, sanction; elect, support Antonyms of negative confirm, ratify

2 to declare not to be true the governor's press secretary promptly negatived the rumor that he was not intending to run for reelection Synonyms of negative contradict, disaffirm, disallow, disavow, disclaim, disconfirm, disown, gainsay, negate, deny, refute, reject, repudiateWords Related to negative traverse; challenge, confute, disprove, rebut; disagree (with), disputeNear Antonyms of negative accept, adopt, embrace, espouse; affirm, announce, assert, aver, claim, declare, maintain, profess, submit; authenticate, corroborate, substantiate, validate, verifyAntonyms of negative acknowledge, admit, allow, avow, concede, confirm, own

3 to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to even though I had originally negatived the invitation, Mom thought I should go anyway Synonyms of negative balk (at), deselect, disapprove, decline, nix, pass, pass up, refuse, reject, reprobate, repudiate, spurn, throw out, throw over, turn downWords Related to negative blow off, disdain, rebuff, scorn, scout, shoot down; overrule, veto; forbid, prohibit, proscribe; dismiss, ignore; abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from); deny, disavow, disclaim, dispute, gainsay; stick; abjure, forswear (also foreswear), recant, renounce, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw; avoid, bypass, detour; contradict, deny, disown, negate; controvert, disagree (with), disprove, dispute, rebut, refute; back down, back off, backtrack; disallow, recall, renege, revokeNear Antonyms of negative condone, countenance, swallow, tolerate; adopt, embrace, receive, take, welcome; accede, acquiesce, agree, assent, consent; choose, handpick, select; espouse, supportAntonyms of negative accept, agree (to), approve

4 to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective no amount of flattery is likely to negative that overheard insult Synonyms of negative annul, cancel (out), compensate (for), correct, counteract, counterbalance, counterpoise, make up (for), offset, neutralizeWords Related to negative invalidate, negate, neuter, nullify; atone (for); outbalance, outweigh, redeem; redress, relieve, remedy; override, overrule

5 to be unwilling to grant ultimately, we negatived the request for a personal loan Synonyms of negative decline, disallow, disapprove, deny, nix, refuse, reject, reprobate, withholdWords Related to negative ban, enjoin, forbid, prohibit, proscribe, veto; rebuff, repel, spurn; check, constrain, curb, hold, keep, repress, restrain, restrict; balk (at), hinder, impede, obstructNear Antonyms of negative afford, furnish, give, provide, supply; authorize, commission, license (also licence); accede (to), acquiesce, agree (to), assent (to), consent (to), warrant; accord, sanction, vouchsafeAntonyms of negative allow, concede, grant, let, OK (or okay), permit