adj
negative
NEHG-uh-tihv
adj
1
Expressing disapproval, pessimism, or something undesirable.
"The reviews were overwhelmingly negative."
"Try not to be so negative about the plan before you've even tried it."
2
Below zero, or showing that a test did not detect what it was checking for.
"The temperature dropped to negative ten overnight."
"Her COVID test came back negative."
noun
1
An unfavourable point, or (in photography) an image with reversed colours/tones.
"One negative of the new office is the long commute."
How to Use Negative
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe opposite of positive — bad, unwanted, below zero, or a "no" result.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
negative impact
negative attitude
test negative
negative number
Word Forms
more negative comparative, negatived past tense, negatives plural, negatives singular, most negative superlative
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Etymology
From Latin negativus, "that denies," from negare, "to deny" — the root behind negate.