negatively
gb/nˈɛɡɪtɪvli/ us/nˈɛɡɪtɪvli/
B1
Anglais
~ 8700
Sens
0 sens
adverb
B1
property
1
in a bad or harmful way
In a way that is bad or not helpful for someone or something.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] affects [someone/something] negatively
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes say *"This affects me negative"* instead of *"This affects me negatively"*. Remember to use **negatively** (adverb), not **negative** (adjective), after verbs like *affect*, *impact*, and *influence*. Some learners also overuse **badly** where **negatively** is more natural in formal writing, for example, *"negatively affect"* is more common than *"badly affect"* in academic or business texts.
Synonymes
adversely (Slightly more formal; often used in news, business, and official writing.)
|
unfavorably (Focuses on giving a bad result or disadvantage, especially in comparisons or evaluations.)
Antonymes
positively (Direct opposite, meaning in a good or helpful way.)
|
favorably (Emphasizes a good or advantageous result or condition.)
Collocations
affect [someone] negatively
|impact [results] negatively
|influence [decision] negatively
|be negatively affected
|be negatively impacted
Thèmes
daily life
|business
|health
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Exemples
- The new law will negatively affect small businesses in rural areas.
- Sleeping too little can negatively impact your mood and concentration.
- His comments negatively influenced the way the team saw the project.
- Pollution is already negatively affecting the local wildlife.
- Rising interest rates have negatively affected housing sales this year.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The changes in the company will negatively affect many workers.
- Too much screen time can negatively impact your sleep.
- Smoking negatively affects your health.
- Lack of practice can negatively influence your test score.
- High prices negatively affect poor families.
adverb
B1
property
2
in a critical or disapproving way
In a way that shows you think something or someone is bad.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] speaks/thinks negatively about [someone/something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse **negatively** with **neutrally** or **objectively**. **Negatively** always carries a bad or critical feeling. Also, avoid using **negative** directly before verbs in this sense (say *"think negatively"*, not *"negative think"*).
Synonymes
disapprovingly (Focuses more clearly on showing disapproval, often through tone or facial expression.)
|
critically (Focuses on pointing out problems or faults, not always emotional but often similar in context.)
Antonymes
positively (Here, means having a good or hopeful opinion.)
|
favorably (Means seeing or describing something in a good, supportive way.)
Collocations
think negatively
|speak negatively about
|judge [someone] negatively
|view [something] negatively
Thèmes
emotions
|communication
|social
Exemples
- She tends to think negatively about her own abilities, even when she succeeds.
- He often speaks negatively about his coworkers, which creates a bad atmosphere.
- Many people still view online dating negatively, despite its popularity.
- Investors reacted negatively to the announcement of the merger.
- Students judged the new grading policy negatively at first.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He always thinks negatively about his future.
- She speaks negatively about her job every day.
- They look at the plan negatively and do not want to try it.
- People in the office talk negatively about the new manager.
- My parents view social media negatively.
adverb
formal
B2
property
3
with a no answer or refusal
As a way of saying "no" or refusing something.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] answers/responds negatively to [request/proposal]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners often use only **say no** and may not recognize **answer negatively** or **respond negatively** in formal writing. Also, *"answer in negative"* is wrong; it should be *"answer in the negative"* or simply *"answer negatively"*.
Synonymes
decliningly (Much less common; used mainly to describe politely refusing offers.)
|
in the negative (A set formal phrase meaning the same thing, often used in official or written contexts.)
Antonymes
positively (In this context, means answering "yes" or agreeing.)
|
affirmatively (Formal opposite, meaning giving a yes answer or agreement.)
Collocations
answer negatively
|respond negatively
|reply negatively
|vote negatively
Thèmes
communication
|law
|business
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The committee members answered negatively when asked if they supported the proposal.
- He responded negatively to the job offer because the salary was too low.
- When questioned about prior convictions, she did not hesitate to reply negatively.
- Shareholders voted negatively on the planned acquisition.
- The audience reacted negatively when asked if they wanted the event to end early.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He answered negatively when they asked him to stay longer.
- She responded negatively to their invitation.
- The worker replied negatively to the offer of weekend work.
- Most people in the group voted negatively on the idea.
- The manager reacted negatively when I asked for more time.
adverb
technical
C1
property
4
with negative electric charge
Having electrical charge of the type called negative, not positive.
Schéma d’usage :
negatively charged [particle/object]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse **negatively charged** with **discharged** or think **negative** here means "bad". In physics, **negative** and **positive** for charge are neutral labels, not value judgments.
Synonymes
with negative charge (A longer phrase describing the same physical property in everyday language.)
Antonymes
positively (In physics, describes having a positive electric charge, the opposite of negative charge.)
Collocations
negatively charged ion
|negatively charged particle
|negatively charged electrode
|negatively charged plate
Thèmes
science
|physics
|technology
Exemples
- An electron is a subatomic particle that is negatively charged.
- In the experiment, the rod became negatively charged when rubbed with the cloth.
- Ions that are negatively charged are attracted to the positive electrode.
- Dust particles can become negatively charged and then stick to surfaces.
- The balloon was negatively charged after being rubbed on her hair.
Exemples pédagogiques
- An electron is a very small particle that is negatively charged.
- In the lab, the metal plate became negatively charged.
- Negatively charged objects are pulled toward positively charged objects.
- Some atoms gain electrons and become negatively charged ions.
- The balloon was negatively charged and stuck to the wall.
adverb
technical
C1
relation
5
showing an inverse relationship
Showing that when one amount goes up, the other usually goes down, or the other way around.
Schéma d’usage :
[variable] is negatively correlated with [variable]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes think **negatively correlated** means the relationship is "bad". In statistics, **negative** simply means the values move in opposite directions, not that the result is good or bad.
Synonymes
inversely (Often used in mathematics and science to describe the same kind of opposite-direction relationship.)
Antonymes
positively (In this context, means that two values move in the same direction together.)
|
directly (In technical use, often describes relationships where both variables increase or decrease together.)
Collocations
negatively correlated
|negatively associated
|negatively related
|negatively linked
Thèmes
science
|statistics
|economics
Exemples
- Smoking is negatively correlated with life expectancy in most populations.
- In this model, price is negatively related to demand for luxury goods.
- The two variables are negatively associated: as income rises, birth rate falls.
- Unemployment and consumer confidence are often negatively linked.
- Study time is negatively correlated with the number of errors on the test.
Exemples pédagogiques
- In the study, exercise was negatively correlated with weight.
- These two numbers are negatively related: when one goes up, the other goes down.
- In economics, price and demand are often negatively correlated.
- Screen time was negatively associated with sleep quality in the report.
- Stress was negatively linked with happiness in the survey.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
negatively
API
GB/nˈɛɡɪtɪvli/
US/nˈɛɡɪtɪvli/
Syllabes et accentuation
neg - at - ively (3 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (neg)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: negatively
- Plural: negativelies
Famille de mots
Forms
negativelies
noun
Core family
negative
adjective B1
negate
verb
Related words
negativity
noun
negation
noun
Negative and opposite forms
positive
adjective B1
positively
adverb B1
Expressions
react negatively to
1/ɹiˈækt nˈɛɡɪtɪvli tə/
fixed phrase
respond in a bad or disapproving way
To respond to something in a way that shows you do not like it or do not agree with it.
Exemples
- Customers reacted negatively to the sudden price increase.
- She reacted negatively to the feedback at first, but later found it helpful.
speak negatively about
2/spˈik nˈɛɡɪtɪvli əbˈaʊt/
fixed phrase
talk about someone in a bad way
To say bad or critical things about a person or thing.
Exemples
- It is unprofessional to speak negatively about your colleagues in public.
- She never speaks negatively about her competitors, even in private.
think negatively
3/θˈɪŋk nˈɛɡɪtɪvli/
fixed phrase
have pessimistic or critical thoughts
To think in a way that expects bad results or focuses on problems.
Exemples
- He tends to think negatively about his chances, even when they are good.
- Therapists often help patients learn to stop thinking negatively about themselves.