negatively
negatively — adverb
1. giving the answer 'no' when asked whether you agree or want something — for exam
giving the answer 'no' when asked whether you agree or want something — for example, by shaking your head, refusing an offer, or voting against a proposal
When the waiter asked if she wanted dessert, Élise shook her head negatively.
body language + negatively: shake one's head negatively
Rohan responded negatively to the job offer after reading the employment contract.
respond negatively to [proposal/offer]
Over 60% of survey participants answered negatively to the question about changing the school calendar.
Kwame shook his head negatively when his daughter asked to skip violin practice.
The union voted negatively on the proposed pay cut during the meeting.
- in the negative
more formal; used in official contexts such as legal or diplomatic replies
- no
one-word answer; less formal and not adverbial in structure
- positively
the direct opposite; responding with agreement or acceptance
- affirmatively
more formal; giving a 'yes' answer in official settings
文法句型
verb + negatively
answer/respond/reply + negatively
用法筆記
Common with verbs of communication such as answer, respond, reply, vote, and shake (one's head). The opposite meaning is expressed by affirmatively or positively.
常見錯誤
2. producing damage, loss, or an unwanted result — for example, when pollution harm
producing damage, loss, or an unwanted result — for example, when pollution harms a river or lack of sleep weakens your health
Chemical waste from the old factory has affected the local river negatively for many years.
affect [something] negatively — cause harm over time
Sleeping fewer than six hours negatively impacts a teenager's concentration in class.
negatively impact [something] — common pattern with health/academic topics
The new tax policy negatively affected small family businesses across the region.
Andrés worried that the rumour would negatively influence his standing among colleagues.
Rising sea temperatures have negatively changed the feeding patterns of local fish populations.
- adversely
more formal; common in legal, medical, and academic texts
- detrimentally
formal; stresses serious or lasting harm
- positively
in a way that helps or improves
- favourably
in a way that produces a good result
文法句型
affect/impact/influence + noun phrase + negatively
negatively + affect/impact + noun phrase
用法筆記
Can appear before or after the verb: 'negatively affected' and 'affected negatively' are both correct, though the pre-verb position (negatively + verb) is more common in formal written English.
常見錯誤
3. focusing only on the bad parts of a situation, ignoring the good ones — expectin
focusing only on the bad parts of a situation, ignoring the good ones — expecting that things will turn out badly
Quan tends to think negatively about his exam results before the papers are even marked.
think negatively about [something] — pessimistically assess a situation
The nurse told Yan that thinking negatively could slow down her recovery after surgery.
Roya viewed the whole situation negatively, expecting every possible thing to go wrong.
After the product launch failed, the team began to look at every new idea negatively.
Sayaka tends to see things negatively when she is tired, even small problems feel huge.
- pessimistically
more precise but less common in everyday speech; carries a stronger sense of habitual gloom
- cynically
suggests distrust of others' motives, not just a lack of hope
- optimistically
expecting good things to happen
- positively
focusing on the good sides of a situation
文法句型
think/view/see + noun phrase + negatively
verb + negatively + about
用法筆記
Often used with verbs of thinking or judging: think, view, see, look at, regard. Unlike sense 1 (SAY NO), this sense is about internal attitude rather than an outward response to an offer or question.
常見錯誤
4. having the electrical property that electrons show — written with a minus sign (
having the electrical property that electrons show — written with a minus sign (−) in science and almost always paired with the word 'charged'
When Christopher rubbed the balloon against his woollen jumper, it became negatively charged.
become negatively charged — change in electrical state
The negatively charged plate attracts the positive ions during the physics experiment.
negatively charged plate — standard lab equipment description
Electrons carry a negatively charged current as they move through the copper wire.
Aoi charged the metal sphere negatively by touching it with a charged plastic rod.
The comb became negatively charged after Asher brushed it through his dry hair repeatedly.
- with a negative charge
more explanatory; used in introductory science texts
- anionically
specialised term used in chemistry, not physics
- positively
relating to the type of charge carried by protons
文法句型
negatively charged + noun
become + negatively + charged
用法筆記
Almost always appears with the past participle charged (negatively charged). The opposite term is positively charged. This sense is restricted to physics and electronics contexts.