1
as in vetoes
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opposites
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 disadvantages
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 downs
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 denies
to declare not to be true
the governor's press secretary promptly negatived the rumor that he was not intending to run for reelection
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in refuses
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in offsets
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 rejects
to be unwilling to grant
ultimately, we negatived the request for a personal loan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of negatives
Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
Reducing false positives and negatives Real-world conditions such as poor lighting, difficult viewing angles, extreme facial expressions, concealment by face masks or sunglasses, and poor image quality can still hamper performance, leading to faulty identification.
—Vijayan Asari, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
Martinez has worked hard, with mixed results, to teach Andreeva not to focus too hard on the negatives.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Shift Towards Progress Goals, Not Outcomes Because of the up-and-down nature of the rehabilitation, along with the potential temporary decline in athletic skill, your child might look at their performance and see more negatives than positives.
—Jonathan Carone, Parents, 28 May 2026
Ahlhauser sent her a contact sheet with images of the seven negatives.
—Jim Higgins, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Every leader in all organizations must understand the positives and negatives associated with AI and determine how this technology should be deployed.
—Harry Kraemer, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
There were times when there were positives and negatives, ups and downs.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026
Abel’s detailed knowledge about Berkshire’s operating businesses won praise, but the unexplained absence of substantial buybacks and a lack of clarity on the future of the equity portfolio and Berkshire’s big cash pile are coming up as negatives.
—Alex Crippen, CNBC, 9 May 2026
Noun
There are negatives in any tradeoff.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
Reducing false positives and negatives Real-world conditions such as poor lighting, difficult viewing angles, extreme facial expressions, concealment by face masks or sunglasses, and poor image quality can still hamper performance, leading to faulty identification.
—Vijayan Asari, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
Martinez has worked hard, with mixed results, to teach Andreeva not to focus too hard on the negatives.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Shift Towards Progress Goals, Not Outcomes Because of the up-and-down nature of the rehabilitation, along with the potential temporary decline in athletic skill, your child might look at their performance and see more negatives than positives.
—Jonathan Carone, Parents, 28 May 2026
Ahlhauser sent her a contact sheet with images of the seven negatives.
—Jim Higgins, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Every leader in all organizations must understand the positives and negatives associated with AI and determine how this technology should be deployed.
—Harry Kraemer, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
There were times when there were positives and negatives, ups and downs.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026
Abel’s detailed knowledge about Berkshire’s operating businesses won praise, but the unexplained absence of substantial buybacks and a lack of clarity on the future of the equity portfolio and Berkshire’s big cash pile are coming up as negatives.
—Alex Crippen, CNBC, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for negatives
Noun
-
Rounding out his vetoes Wednesday, Polis nixed Senate Bill 184.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
-
In fact, Hilton is envisioning vetoes putting lawmakers on record; the last time a session in Sacramento overrode a veto was in 1979.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
In fact, these two are a classic case of opposites attract.—
Madeline Hirsch,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
-
His life is both ordinary and extraordinary, and the storytelling holds those seeming opposites in pleasing tension.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Similar to how van Gisbergen debuted on a brand-new NASCAR circuit, thereby negating some of the disadvantages that come with racing in a series for the first time, Magnussen will have the same opportunity at San Diego.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
In comparison, the new players have their own advantages and disadvantages.—
David Szondy
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Springtown takes edge in 7-4A race, downs Decatur Springtown got the inside track on the District 7-4A championship after beating Decatur 4-2 in 8 innings on Monday night at Decatur High School.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Greene downs it, throws the kid his jersey, smiles, and all is right with the world.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bruel denies all the allegations made against him.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
-
At the end of each year, TEA approves or denies all teachers recommended to them by a school district.—
Samuel O’Neal
June 9,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Here, Colman Domingo’s renegade intelligence operative also refuses to tell anyone anything, but all the unspoken beats just feel like plot holes.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
And law enforcement refuses to investigate it.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Boys volleyball has evolved into such a power game that service errors are often seen as palatable as long as a team offsets the errors with a decent amount of aces.—
Tim Meehan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
-
Prestige alone no longer offsets the risks attached to expensive launches and instant global scrutiny.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Taiwan’s government rejects China’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 June 2026
-
There’s already wide agreement within the denomination that its faith statement rejects the appointment of women as senior pastors who lead churches.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Negatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negatives. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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