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
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
a negative impact
negative consequences
terrible consequences
awful consequences
nasty consequences
unfavorable consequences
disadvantageous consequences
negative reaction
negative thoughts
negative feelings
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of negative
Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2025
The approval margin reached its most negative on April 29 at -7.2 percentage points, which fell around Trump's 100-day mark.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
Anika Burgess
july 17, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
So, there are costs, complications, hassles and some tax negatives to this.
—Martin Shenkman, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Allison Pohle, WSJ, 2 Aug. 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
Listening to concerns from the community about the long-term negative implications of solitary confinement, Anwar wanted to experience it himself, asking to be incarcerated in the Garner Correctional Institution for 72 hours.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2025
The approval margin reached its most negative on April 29 at -7.2 percentage points, which fell around Trump's 100-day mark.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
Some photographers also opted to use cyanide of potassium, a poison, either as a fixing agent for negatives or to remove stains on skin caused by silver nitrate.
—Anika Burgess
july 17, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
So, there are costs, complications, hassles and some tax negatives to this.
—Martin Shenkman, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Verb
And passengers boarding international flights to the U.S. no longer need to test negative a day before departure or prove recovery from Covid in the past 90 days.
—Allison Pohle, WSJ, 2 Aug. 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
-
In recent weeks, both have also moved military forces to the border near Assab and are engaging in escalating exchanges of hostile rhetoric.—
Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Trump has moved closer to Pakistan, with which India has hostile relations and the U.S. has historically had a complex and sometimes tense relationship, especially as Pakistan has grown closer to and is primarily armed by China.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
By August, those numbers had shifted to 33 percent favorable and 65 percent unfavorable.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Unlike in the United States, statistical agency commissioners in these countries cannot be fired simply for producing unfavorable economic data.—
Brent Dykes,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Artists for Artists: Miami, a nonprofit advocating for local artists, launched the survey in October following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ $32 million veto of arts funding from the state budget.—
Isabel Rivera,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
-
The night picked up after the veto ceremony, which saw the nominations stay the same.—
David Wysong,
The Enquirer,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
This year, the opposite is true, as Shavers has put together his best case to make the team since joining the Bills as an undrafted rookie in 2023.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
-
The folks back home don't feel like they're being hurt by tariffs, just the opposite.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There are advantages and disadvantages to consider.—
Michael Collins,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Advanced users were given the option of several versions of those models, all of which had advantages and disadvantages.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Boston Magazine reported that during her training she was ultimately dismissed for administering opiates without a doctor’s order and leaving her shift early.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Bond's attorneys filed a lawsuit against the unnamed accuser, and the suit was ultimately dismissed.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The goal of Gastineau’s memorandum is to convince U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who is presiding over the case, to deny the motion to dismiss and advance the case into pretrial discovery.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
What will be making headlines as the season progresses? La Liga president Javier Tebas has been openly trying to stage official Spanish top-flight games in the United States since 2018, but until now has always been denied by a mix of political and practical factors.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
After twice rejecting Trump, Nevadans ousted a Democratic governor in 2022 and helped Trump back to the White House in 2024.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Evers himself rejected Underly’s request to repeal a state law requiring teachers to pass the Foundations of Reading Test to obtain certain teaching licenses.—
Rory Linnane,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Negative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negative. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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