Some people argue that technology has negative effects.
Source: tatoeba (23995)
Negative
/ˈnɛɡəʈɪv/
Synonyms for "negative" (472 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (95)
abjuratoryabnegateabnegationabnegativeabolishabrogateabsolute vetoadversaryadversativeadversealgorismicalgorithmicalienaliquotannihilateannulannullingantagonisticantiantipathetic
Show 67 more words
antitheticantitheticalaquatintargumentativearithmeticalat cross purposesat cross-purposesat loggerheadsat oddsat varianceat warau contraireautolithographayebackingbe unmovedbe unwillingbeg offbeliebibliofilmbipackblack-and-white filmblockblock printblow sky-highblow upbring to naughtbring to nothingbuffercancelcancel outcancellingcardinalcartridgecassandra-likecassandrancassandriancastcertainly notchromolithographclashingcoldcolor filmcolor negative filmcolor printcome to nothingcompensatecompetitiveconconflictingcontact printcontradictcontradictingcontradictioncontradictorycontrarycontravenecoolcopperplatecopperplate printcountercounteractcounterbalancecountercheckcrankycrayon engravingcross
Noun(2 words)
adversebelow zero
Adjective(1 words)
Verb(1 words)
Strong matches (141)
cutcynicaldeaf todecimaldeclensiondeclinationdeclinatorydeclinaturedeclinedecline to acceptdecliningdefeatistdeflatedenialdenydenyingdeprivationdestructivedetrimentaldevoid
Show 108 more words
diedifferentialdifferingdigitaldisaccordantdisaffirmdisaffirmingdisagreedisagreeabledisagreeingdisagreementdisallowdisallowancedisallowingdisavowdisavowingdisclaimdisclaimerdisclaimingdisclamationdisconfirmdiscordantdiscreditdiscrepantdisharmoniousdisinteresteddismaldisobediencedisobedientdisowningdisproportionatedisprovedisputatiousdisputingdissentdissentientdissentingdissentiousdissidentdissonantditto copydivergentdopedownbeatdry plateemulsionenemyengravementengravingenlargementetchingevenexistlessexplodeexponentialexposefar from itfiguralfiguratefigurativefilmfiniteformfractionalfractiousframefrustrategainsaygainsayinggloomygraphotypegratinghectograph copyhold outhold out againstholding backhostileimaginaryimmiscibleimpairimpossibleimpressimpressionimprintimpugnin the negativeinaccordantincompatibleinfiniteinharmoniousinimicalintagliointegralinterestinvalidateirrationalitem vetojanglingjarringkilllackinglastlimited negativelimited vetolinoleum-block printlithographlogarithmiclogometric
Adjective(5 words)
Noun(8 words)
Related words (236)
matrixmezzotintmicrofilmmimeograph copymintminuendminusmissingmoldmonochromatic filmmotion-picture filmmouldmouldermouldynaynaysayingnegatenegatingnegationnegativate
Show 187 more words
negative answernegative attitudenegativelynegativenessnegativismnegativisticnegativitynegatoryneinneutralizeneutralizingnihilisticnixnono such thingnonnonacceptancenoncompliancenonconsentnonconsentingnoncooperativenonexistentnonobservancenotnot a bitnot a jotnot a whitnot buynot consentnot hear ofnot reallynot sonot think ofnothing of the kindnullnullifynullifyingnumeralnumerarynumerativenumericnumericalnyetobstinateoddoffprintoffsetopponentopposedopposingoppositeoppositionaloppositiveoppugnantordinalorthochromatic filmout of accordout of whackoverthwartpackpairpanchromatic filmperversepessimistpessimisticphotocopyphotographphotographic paperphotostatphotostatic copyplatepluspocket vetopositivepossibleprimeprintprinting paperproproofprove the contrarypunchpuncturequite the contraryradicalrationalrealrecalcitrantrecantationrecantingreciprocalredressrefractoryrefusalrefuserefuse consentrefusingrejectrejectionrejectiverenunciativerenunciatoryrepealreprintrepudiaterepudiationrepudiativerepugnantresist entreatyresist persuasionretentionrevocativerevocatoryrevokerivalrollrubber-block printrule againstsay naysay nosealshake the headshoe lastshow upsidesound filmsound tracksound-on-filmsoundstripestampstand aloofstatstultifysubmultiplesubtrahendsurdsuspensory vetotemplatethe affirmativethe negativethumbs downthumbs-downthwartto the contrarytranscendentaltraversetripackturn downturndownuncheerfuluncomplaisantuncompliantuncomplyinguncongenialunconsentinguncooperativeundercutundounenthusiasticunexistingunfavorableunfriendlyunharmoniousuninterestedunpropitiousunresponsiveunwillingunwillingnessvacuousvariantvehiclevetovignettevitiatevoidvoidingvote nayvote negativelywithholdingwithout beingwood engravingwoodblockwoodcutwoodprintxeroxxerox copyxylograph
Adjective(8 words)
minusnegative integernegatively chargednon groupoverambitioussimplisticuncomplimentaryunfavorable condition
Noun(18 words)
minusnaysayernegnegative imagenixednono unit constantnon cabinet-grade varnishnonpositivepanningpessimistpessimisticphotographic negativeprint negativerefusalstock declineunder zerounfavorable
Determiner(1 words)
non greek letter form
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abjuratory, abnegate, abnegation, abnegative, abolish.
- Sentence evidence is available for negative, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "negative".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "negative"
Keep "negative" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "negative" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "negative", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "negative" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
More specific
12 entriesCollocations
8 entriesnegative attitudenegative feedbacknegative impactnegative numbersnegative resultnegative spacenegative testnegative test results
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
4 entriessimilar
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
Translations
1 translations across 1 languages.
Finnish
1 entries- negatiivinen adj (New Age jargon)
Sample sentences
41 total sentences available.
Debate is an academic game between the affirmative and the negative.
Source: tatoeba (39668)
The result of the tuberculin test was negative.
Source: tatoeba (39795)
The economy recorded a negative growth.
Source: tatoeba (237993)
Showing 4 of 41 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "negative"?
Closest matches include abjuratory, abnegate, abnegation, abnegative, abolish.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "negative"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.