negative
Reversed-tone film image
Negative is the opposite of positive in most contexts.
It characterizes negation (gave a negative answer) and a null result of a test or experiment (negative pregnancy test).
A negative effect, emotion, or consequence is undesirable, harmful, or otherwise bad.
In math, negative characterizes numbers that are less than zero.
Something with negative charge has a surplus of electrons.
In photography, the negative is an image whose light and color values are opposite to the print.
Causing harm or damage
- adverseHarmful or opposed
- disadvantageousCausing harm or hindrance
- harmfulCausing damage or injury
- injuriousCausing physical harm
deleterious · damaging · destructive · pernicious · unfavorable · ill effects · side effects · downside
Movie or coating
- exposureState of being unprotected
- printTransfer text to paper
- darkroomFilm processing chamber
- developerOne who builds things
fixer · celluloid · contrast · reversal · analog · light-sensitive · emulsion
Refusal to accept reality
- refusalAct of declining
- declineDecrease or refuse
- vetoOfficial refusal to approve
- dismissalRemoval from position
rebuff · repudiation · turndown · nonacceptance · renunciation · nix · exclusion · disavowal
Judgment of faults
- faultfindingSeeking out imperfections
- disapprovalUnfavorable opinion expressed
- censureFormal institutional disapproval
- condemnationSevere disapproval expressed formally
critique · denunciation · nitpicking · carping · hypercritical · judgmental · objection · scrutiny
Cost or accusation
- electronNegative subatomic particle
- ionCharged atom or molecule
- polarityState of opposing forces
- cathodeElectrode current exits through
anode · terminal · current · pole · battery · electrode · circuit
Habitual negative forecasting
- cynicalDoubting human goodness
- bleakDreary and without cheer
- hopelessBeyond possibility of success
- despairingCompletely without hope
fatalistic · gloomy · defeatist · nihilistic · doubtful · melancholic · morose · foreboding
Removing quantities mathematically
- decreaseBecome or make smaller
- deductSubtract from a total
- lessA smaller amount
- deficitAmount still owed
shortfall · loss · below zero · in the red · underwater · net loss · decrement · reduction
Patterned stress and silence
- beatRhythmic pulse or strike
- meterDevice that measures usage
- time signatureRhythmic fraction notation
- accentRegional speech pattern
pulse · syncopation · conducting · baton · measure
- diagnosisIdentification of illness
- screeningEvaluative selection process
- HIV testDiagnostic for retrovirus infection
- pregnancy testTool confirming conception
detrimental
Causing harm or damage
- adverseHarmful or opposed
- disadvantageousCausing harm or hindrance
- harmfulCausing damage or injury
injurious · deleterious · damaging · destructive · pernicious · unfavorable · ill effects · side effects · downside · drawback
film
Movie or coating
developer · fixer · celluloid · contrast · reversal · analog · light-sensitive · emulsion
denial
Refusal to accept reality
dismissal · rebuff · repudiation · turndown · nonacceptance · renunciation · nix · exclusion · disavowal · contradiction
criticism
Judgment of faults
- faultfindingSeeking out imperfections
- disapprovalUnfavorable opinion expressed
- censureFormal institutional disapproval
condemnation · critique · denunciation · nitpicking · carping · hypercritical · judgmental · objection · scrutiny · disparagement
charge
Cost or accusation
cathode · anode · terminal · current · pole · battery · electrode · circuit
doom-and-gloom
Habitual negative forecasting
despairing · fatalistic · gloomy · defeatist · nihilistic · doubtful · melancholic · morose · foreboding · dismal
subtraction
Removing quantities mathematically
deficit · shortfall · loss · below zero · in the red · underwater · net loss · decrement · reduction · subtractive
rhythm
Patterned stress and silence
- beatRhythmic pulse or strike
- meterDevice that measures usage
- time signatureRhythmic fraction notation
accent · pulse · syncopation · conducting · baton · measure
test result
- diagnosisIdentification of illness
- screeningEvaluative selection process
- HIV testDiagnostic for retrovirus infection
pregnancy test · biopsy · clear · benign · all-clear
- arithmeticaddition, subtraction, multiplication, division, sum
- numbersone, two, four, three, 0
- visualsimage, illustrations, photograph, images, diagram
- questionsquestion, inquiry, questions, query, interrogatives
- pandemiclockdowns, COVID-19, outbreak, epidemic, COVID
- attitudespositive, ambition, apathy, curiosity, determination
negativepositive
Affirming or certain
optimistic · hopeful · upbeat · constructive · sunny
- negative campaigningAttacking opponents during elections
- negative thoughts
- positive and negativeOpposing values or polarities
- negative numberValue below zero
- double negativePaired negations in syntax
- negative feedbackResponse indicating problems
negation, negativity, negatives, negatively, negating, abnegation, negativism, negative space, negations