Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

positive

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of positive

1 expressing approval
  • hoped for a positive reaction from the audience
Synonyms of positive

admiring, applauding, appreciative, approbatory, approving, commendatory, complimentary, favorable, friendly, good
Words Related to positive

accepting, warm

encomiastic, eulogistic, flattering, hagiographic (also hagiographical), laudative, laudatory, panegyrical, praiseful

respectful, supportive, sympathetic

adoring, adulatory, idolizing, worshipful, worshipping (also worshiping)

advisory, recommendatory
Near Antonyms of positive

captious, carping, caviling (or cavilling), censuring, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical

belittling, contemptuous, disdainful, disparaging, scornful, slighting
Antonyms of positive

adverse, depreciative, depreciatory, derogatory, disapproving, inappreciative, negative, unappreciative, uncomplimentary, unfavorable, unflattering, unfriendly
2 having or showing a mind free from doubt
  • Iʼm positive that this is the right direction
Synonyms of positive

assured, certain, clear, cocksure, confident, doubtless, implicit, sanguine, sure
Words Related to positive

self-assured, self-conceited, self-confident

decisive, resolute, unfaltering, unhesitating, unquestioning, unwavering
Near Antonyms of positive

hesitant, indecisive, vacillating, wavering

diffident, unassuming
Antonyms of positive

doubtful, dubious, uncertain, unsure
3 not capable of being challenged or proved wrong
  • seeks positive proof that UFO's exist
Synonyms of positive

accomplished, certain, inarguable, incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, irrefragable, irrefutable, sure, unanswerable, unarguable, unchallengeable, undeniable, unquestionable
Words Related to positive

unambiguous, unequivocal

absolute, clear, conclusive, decisive, definite, hands-down

uncontested, uncontradicted, undisputed, unquestioned
Near Antonyms of positive

controversial, debated, disputed

doubtful, dubious, iffy, inconclusive, indecisive, uncertain

ambiguous, equivocal

academic (also academical), hypothetical, speculative, theoretical (also theoretic)
Antonyms of positive

answerable, arguable, contradictable, controvertible, debatable, disputable, doubtable, moot, negotiable, problematic (also problematical), questionable, refutable

Synonym Discussion of positive

sure, certain, positive, cocksure mean having no doubt or uncertainty. sure usually stresses the subjective or intuitive feeling of assurance.
    • felt sure that I had forgotten something
certain may apply to a basing of a conclusion or conviction on definite grounds or indubitable evidence.
    • police are certain about the cause of the fire
positive intensifies sureness or certainty and may imply opinionated conviction or forceful expression of it.
    • I'm positive that's the person I saw
cocksure implies presumptuous or careless positiveness.
    • you're always so cocksure about everything

Learn More about positive

  1. Dictionary: Definition of positive Medical Dictionary: Definition of positive Spanish Central: Translation of positive Nglish: Translation of positive for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of positive for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up positive? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

parabolic

Listen to the pronounciation of parabolic

of or relating to a parable or parabola

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. crawdad New novel makes waves

  2. non sequitur, sequitur Manafort judge addresses defense

  3. trope AOC tweets against border wall

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games