1
as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will
classes that hopefully will change the negative attitude that some students have toward the recent immigrants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfavorable
opposed to one's interests
the almost universally negative reaction to the book
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in veto
a vote or decision against something
in the absence of an unambiguous negative from the commander, we decided to continue on the mission
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opposite
something that is as different as possible from something else
the desire to control another person is actually the negative of real love
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disadvantage
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to dismiss
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deny
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to reject
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to offset
to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective
no amount of flattery is likely to negative that overheard insult
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to refuse
to be unwilling to grant
ultimately, we negatived the request for a personal loan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of negative
ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
If Jaxson Dart were a liberal woman-beater, Le Batard probably wouldn’t say a negative word about him.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2026
That, however, shouldn’t be viewed as a negative.
—Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 26 May 2022
But with sales growth expected to go from triple digits in 2021 to negative this year, shares have tanked to a record low recently.
—Yueqi Yang, Time, 20 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for negative
Adjective
As the game progresses, Mina slowly becomes aware of some negative side effects from these generators and the sinister actions being taken to cover up those effects.
—ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
If Jaxson Dart were a liberal woman-beater, Le Batard probably wouldn’t say a negative word about him.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Noun
The only negative is that more people didn’t see it.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2026
That, however, shouldn’t be viewed as a negative.
—Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Verb
Regardless, the outcome of this trial might not impact the ex-couple’s career prospects in all that negative a way, Engelmayer predicted.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 26 May 2022
But with sales growth expected to go from triple digits in 2021 to negative this year, shares have tanked to a record low recently.
—Yueqi Yang, Time, 20 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for negative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for negative
Adjective
-
That means unlocking our vast energy resources, expanding production, building pipelines, approving infrastructure and increasing exports to allies who need reliable alternatives to hostile regimes.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The one major exception is agriculture — and that policy has historical roots dating back to World War II, when the Swiss learned the hard way that food security matters for small countries surrounded by hostile powers.—
Richard W. Rahn,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
The president is as toxic as ever, with 64% registering an unfavorable opinion.—
Tracy Hernandez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 May 2026
-
Demographic trends are unfavorable.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
Virginia Republicans praised the veto.—
Juan Benn Jr. The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
24 May 2026
-
The Cannabis Small Business Association, a coalition of hemp businesses and advocates, called the veto less a defeat than a chance to rewrite the bill more carefully.—
Dario Sabaghi,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
In reality, the opposite is true.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
-
Accountability is not the opposite of kindness.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
That is a meaningful disadvantage in a race where prize money, sponsor visibility, television exposure and career-defining moments are concentrated near the front.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
-
While that might sound like a disadvantage, humans are adaptable, says Martin MacInnis, an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Calgary.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
In December, Rozier requested that the case be dismissed, arguing that the government had overstepped by charging him with fraud.—
Tom Winter,
NBC news,
28 May 2026
-
During sentencing, Baskin dismissed the argument that the devices were used for purposes such as exploding targets and fireworks.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The council had previously denied a similar zoning change and conditional use permit that included townhouses in July 2024.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 May 2026
-
Ingram denies any wrongdoing and says the settlement included no admission of liability or fault.—
Chadd Cripe. Produced with AI assistance,
Idaho Statesman,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The court rejected Florida’s complaint that those states allow undocumented immigrants who lack training and are not proficient in English to drive commercial trucks.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
-
Earlier this year, YouTube content creator Markiplier self-distributed his horror movie Iron Lung after numerous studios and distributors had rejected the project.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Negative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negative. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
