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
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
But records by way of the glass negatives—most of them made by the German photographer Gustav Schwarz, as part of an ongoing process related to new acquisitions that continued until 1944—stand to make the works accessible.
—Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Due to widespread unauthorized copying, material decay and the destruction of film stock during World War I — when silver and celluloid were extracted from original negatives — a significant portion of Méliès’ catalog was lost to history.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Many original Méliès negatives were lost for good during World War I, when their silver and celluloid were extracted by melting them down.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
Though each proposal has its own upside, from keeping people in their homes and creating long-term wealth to creating new homes, their negatives persuaded staff away from them.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Creating a natural flow between a small bedroom and pint-sized patio alleviates the space concerns in each, turning two negatives into one major positive.
—Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 15 Apr. 2026
The scanner is designed for efficiency, with a quick-loading tray system that allows continuous scanning of multiple slides or negatives.
—Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Film negatives deteriorate through humidity, chemical decay and physical damage, and without timely intervention, important works risk being lost entirely.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
McDavid and Evan Bouchard, the NHL’s leading scorer and top producer from the blue line, respectively, have been net negatives by nearly any measure thus far.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
But records by way of the glass negatives—most of them made by the German photographer Gustav Schwarz, as part of an ongoing process related to new acquisitions that continued until 1944—stand to make the works accessible.
—Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Due to widespread unauthorized copying, material decay and the destruction of film stock during World War I — when silver and celluloid were extracted from original negatives — a significant portion of Méliès’ catalog was lost to history.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Many original Méliès negatives were lost for good during World War I, when their silver and celluloid were extracted by melting them down.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
Though each proposal has its own upside, from keeping people in their homes and creating long-term wealth to creating new homes, their negatives persuaded staff away from them.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Creating a natural flow between a small bedroom and pint-sized patio alleviates the space concerns in each, turning two negatives into one major positive.
—Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 15 Apr. 2026
The scanner is designed for efficiency, with a quick-loading tray system that allows continuous scanning of multiple slides or negatives.
—Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Film negatives deteriorate through humidity, chemical decay and physical damage, and without timely intervention, important works risk being lost entirely.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for negatives
Noun
-
The House was unwilling to override two vetoes earlier this year on legislation that passed unanimously.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The issue, though, is that the liberals do not have enough votes to override Lamont’s vetoes.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Here opposites — classy and brassy — are distractions, with odd-couple joking substituting for something more substantial.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The rhetoric of diplomatic negotiation can often speak in opposites.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Expanding the playoff to 16 teams, for example, would allow for more playoff spots and take some of the disadvantages of tough schedules away from those conferences.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Being inside the Vatican bubble has journalistic advantages and disadvantages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
-
Her killing fuels accusations that Israel systematically targets journalists, a claim the Israeli military denies.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The case, in which Capital One denies any wrongdoing, involves two types of savings accounts offered by the financial services giant.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The play is dominated by Lithgow’s towering portrait of the artist as a weary old giant who refuses to concede an inch of ground.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Others rely on patience, research, and the fact that the ground itself refuses to be reduced to one easy headline.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But Tirtir’s formula offsets this with soothing Centella asiatica (also known as cica).—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Republicans would increase an existing credit that offsets a portion of municipal property tax bills from $300 to $650 and broaden eligibility.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In an oppositional reading, the reader understands the dominant ideology expressed in the text but rejects it and interprets the text in an alternative way.—
Shepherd Mpofu,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
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And with its bare Instagram presence, Antigone rejects polish for rawness, allowing the strength of its curation to speak for itself.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Negatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negatives. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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