Negative ˈneɡətɪv Extra Examples Positive I Light Adjective

• the crisis had a negative effect on trade.
• government cuts will have a negative impact on public services.
• the whole experience was definitely more positive than negative.
• a negative form/sentence

negative

1. bad or harmful
• OPPOSITE positive
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/positive_2
• The crisis had a negative effect on trade.
• Government cuts will have a negative impact on public services.
• The whole experience was definitely more positive than negative.

Extra Examples

• Few patients reported any lasting negative consequences.
• On the negative side, the labour market is still weak.
• the strongly negative implications of these survey results
• Negative side effects of the drug can occur and include drowsiness and headaches.
2. containing a word such as ‘no’, ‘not’, ‘never’, etc.
• OPPOSITE affirmative (2)
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/affirmative_1#affirmative_sng_2
• a negative form/sentence
3. expressing the answer ‘no’
• OPPOSITE affirmative
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/affirmative_2
• His response was negative.
• They received a negative reply.
4. considering only the bad side of something/somebody; having no enthusiasm or hope
• OPPOSITE positive
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/positive_2
• Scientists have a fairly negative attitude to the theory.
• The developers' proposal received negative feedback from neighbours.
• ‘He probably won't show up.’ ‘Don't be so negative.’
• She's been rather negative about the idea.
• He was too negative in his thinking.

Extra Examples

• The response from the critics was overwhelmingly negative.
• I don't have many negative comments to make about the movie.
• Reaction to last night's attack was uniformly negative.
• She spoke in entirely negative terms.
• Some people have accused me of being overly negative.
• Their attitude was highly negative.
• I don't want to sound unduly negative, but I simply couldn't see the point.
• We try to pinpoint the cause of any negative feelings.
5. not showing any evidence of a particular substance or medical condition
• OPPOSITE positive
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/positive_2
• Her pregnancy test was negative.
• Negative results are not a guarantee of a safe water supply.
• He tested negative for HIV infection.

Extra Examples

• 90 out of 100 patients with a negative result will not have the disease.
• The antibody test proved negative.
• The urine tests were negative for protein.
6. containing or producing the type of electricity that is carried by an electron
• OPPOSITE positive
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/positive_2
• a negative charge/current
• the negative terminal of a battery
7. less than zero
• OPPOSITE positive
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/positive_2
• a negative trade balance
• The industry suffered negative growth (= a decline) throughout the decade.
8. showing light and shade, or colours, in the opposite way to the original
• In a negative image of the photograph, dark is light and right is left.

Extra Examples

• Look at a bright light and look away, and you see the negative image of it.
• The artist creates an interplay of positive and negative space in acrylic.

Word Origin

• late Middle English: from late Latin negativus, from negare ‘deny’.