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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of negatives
Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
While elements of his defensive flaws are overplayed, Tuchel has clearly felt that his negatives outweigh the positives.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 13 May 2026
There were times when there were positives and negatives, ups and downs.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026
Abel’s detailed knowledge about Berkshire’s operating businesses won praise, but the unexplained absence of substantial buybacks and a lack of clarity on the future of the equity portfolio and Berkshire’s big cash pile are coming up as negatives.
—Alex Crippen, CNBC, 9 May 2026
On one side, that means making sure original materials, such as original negatives, prints, sound elements, are properly stored, tracked, and protected.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
What are the negatives of I-bonds?
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Despite this, Uber is hoping the benefits outweigh the negatives.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 4 May 2026
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
Noun
Jenkins admitted that there were both positives and negatives resulting from the latest research.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
While elements of his defensive flaws are overplayed, Tuchel has clearly felt that his negatives outweigh the positives.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 13 May 2026
There were times when there were positives and negatives, ups and downs.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026
Abel’s detailed knowledge about Berkshire’s operating businesses won praise, but the unexplained absence of substantial buybacks and a lack of clarity on the future of the equity portfolio and Berkshire’s big cash pile are coming up as negatives.
—Alex Crippen, CNBC, 9 May 2026
On one side, that means making sure original materials, such as original negatives, prints, sound elements, are properly stored, tracked, and protected.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
What are the negatives of I-bonds?
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Despite this, Uber is hoping the benefits outweigh the negatives.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 4 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for negatives
Noun
-
Kemp vetoes bills that would have doled out more than $235M in tax breaks over the next five years.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
14 May 2026
-
The House was unwilling to override two vetoes earlier this year on legislation that passed unanimously.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the mix of both energies of these authentic polar opposites worked well together to keep the crowd laughing.—
Malina Saval,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
To him, loyalty to the British Crown and loyalty to home were not opposites.—
Kimberly Nath,
The Conversation,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Speaking at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2024, Huang said one of the biggest disadvantages facing privileged graduates is expecting success to come too easily.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
-
Democrats view the open-seat contest as one of their better statewide opportunities in years, though the party still faces structural disadvantages in turnout during nonpresidential elections.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Swalwell denies the allegations.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Iran denies ever withdrawing from the Venice Biennale, and the Somalia Pavilion sparks controversy.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Footloose is also name-checked, which is technically not a horror movie but is about a small town that stubbornly refuses to change.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
-
Hunter is stubborn, arrogant and gifted enough to play for the Briar hockey team, yet refuses to for reasons the show has yet to reveal.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Prestige alone no longer offsets the risks attached to expensive launches and instant global scrutiny.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
-
And Republican initiatives to cut income tax rates and bolster a state credit that offsets a portion of local property tax bills also were left by the wayside.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Katie fully catches on to his selfish game, though, and firmly rejects him at last.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
Turkey vehemently rejects the label, conceding many died in that era but insisting the death toll is inflated and the deaths resulted from civil unrest.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Negatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negatives. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
