negative
Other forms: negatives; negatived; negativing
Negative means focused on what is bad or lacking. A negative ad tells you bad things about the competition. A negative person loves to complain.
In math, a negative number is less than zero. People who see the glass half empty have a negative outlook. Ask your mom for ice cream and receive an answer in the negative? Don't be too negative back to her, or it'll be a while before you have another chance at ice cream.
Definitions of negative
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characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features“a negative outlook on life”“a colorless negative personality”“a negative evaluation”“a negative reaction to an advertising campaign”
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Synonyms:
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destructive
causing destruction or much damage
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pessimistic
expecting the worst possible outcome
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antagonistic, counter
indicating opposition or resistance
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perverse
marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict
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unsupportive
not furnishing support or assistance
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Antonyms:
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positive
characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.
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neutral
possessing no distinctive quality or characteristics
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affirmative, affirmatory
affirming or giving assent
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constructive
constructing or tending to construct or improve or promote development
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optimistic
expecting the best in this best of all possible worlds
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affirmative, optimistic
expecting the best
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constructive
emphasizing what is laudable or hopeful or to the good
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neutralised, neutralized
made neutral in some respect; deprived of distinctive characteristics
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viewless
not having or expressing opinions or views
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supportive
furnishing support or assistance
- show more antonyms...
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destructive
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expressing or consisting of a negation or refusal or denial
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Synonyms:
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dissentient, dissenting, dissident
disagreeing, especially with a majority
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unfavorable, unfavourable
not encouraging or approving or pleasing
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disinclined
unwilling because of mild dislike or disapproval
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Antonyms:
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affirmative, affirmatory
affirming or giving assent
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assentient
expressing agreement or consent
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favorable, favourable
encouraging or approving or pleasing
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positive
characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.
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dissentient, dissenting, dissident
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not indicating the presence of microorganisms or disease or a specific condition“the HIV test was negative”
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synonyms:
disconfirming
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Gram-negative
(of bacteria) being of or relating to a bacterium that does not retain the violet stain used in Gram's method
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Antonyms:
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confirming, positive
indicating existence or presence of a suspected condition or pathogen
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Gram-positive
(of bacteria) being or relating to a bacterium that retains the violet stain used in Gram's method
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Gram-negative
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having a negative charge“electrons are negative”
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synonyms:
electronegative, negatively charged
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charged
of a particle or body or system; having a net amount of positive or negative electric charge
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charged
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a reply of denial“he answered in the negative”
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Antonyms:
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affirmative
a reply of affirmation
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types:
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no
a negative
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nay
a negative
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double negative
a grammatically substandard but emphatic negative
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type of:
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denial
the act of refusing to comply (as with a request)
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affirmative
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vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent
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types:
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defeat, kill, shoot down, vote down, vote out
thwart the passage of
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type of:
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contradict, controvert, oppose
be resistant to
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defeat, kill, shoot down, vote down, vote out
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involving disadvantage or harm
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synonyms:
minus
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disadvantageous
constituting a disadvantage
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disadvantageous
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having the quality of something harmful or unpleasant“ran a negative campaign”
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Synonyms:
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bad
having undesirable or negative qualities
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bad
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designed or tending to discredit, especially without positive or helpful suggestions
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reckoned in a direction opposite to that regarded as positive“negative interest rates”
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Antonyms:
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positive
reckoned, situated or tending in the direction which naturally or arbitrarily is taken to indicate increase or progress or onward motion
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positive
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less than zero“a negative number”
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Synonyms:
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minus
on the negative side or lower end of a scale
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minus
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a piece of photographic film showing an image with light and shade or colors reversed
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type of:
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film, photographic film
photographic material consisting of a base of celluloid covered with a photographic emulsion; used to make negatives or transparencies
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film, photographic film
Pronunciation
US
/ˈnɛgədɪv/
UK
/ˈnɛgətɪv/
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