What Is a Negative Word?

Negative words include any word that has a negative connotation attached to it. While it is very easy to distinguish negative words from positive words, it can be more difficult when dealing with neutral words. These words, while they may seem to be negative words in some cases, do not actually imply anything wrong. Negative words themselves are more direct and are often used when positive or neutral language will not suffice.

Negative Words With Examples

• “My coworker is so abrasive! I can never get him to agree to anything.”
• “I wish my son cared about something, but he seems apathetic towards everything.”
• “Mom must think I can’t do anything right; she’s very controlling.”
• “You need to stop lying. Being dishonest hurts everyone involved.”
• “Don’t be impatient. Good things come to those who wait.”
• “I just feel so anxious! What if this interview goes horribly wrong?”
• “He promised not to tell. I’ve never felt more betrayed.”
• “Sorry, we thought this cake was going to be much bigger. You must be disappointed.”
• “His pants fell down on stage, in front of everyone. Of course, he was embarrassed!”
• “You don’t need to be jealous. If you work hard, you can afford that new gaming console, too.”

List of Common Negative Words

• Abrasive
• Apathetic
• Controlling
• Dishonest
• Impatient
• Anxious
• Betrayed
• Disappointed
• Embarrassed
• Jealous
• Abysmal
• Bad
• Callous
• Corrosive
• Damage
• Despicable
• Don’t
• Enraged
• Fail
• Gawky
• Haggard
• Hurt
• Icky
• Insane
• Jealous
• Lose
• Malicious
• Naive
• Not
• Objectionable
• Pain
• Questionable
• Reject
• Rude
• Sad
• Sinister
• Stuck
• Tense
• Ugly
• Unsightly
• Vice
• Wary
• Yell
• Zero
• Adverse
• Banal
• Can’t
• Corrupt
• Damaging
• Detrimental
• Dreadful
• Eroding
• Faulty
• Ghastly
• Hard
• Hurtful
• Ignorant
• Insidious
• Junky
• Lousy
• Mean
• Nasty
• Noxious
• Odious
• Perturb
• Quirky
• Renege
• Ruthless
• Savage
• Slimy
• Stupid
• Terrible
• Undermine
• Untoward
• Vicious
• Weary
• Yucky
• Alarming
• Barbed
• Clumsy
• Dastardly
• Dirty
• Dreary
• Evil
• Fear
• Grave
• Hard-hearted
• Ignore
• Injure
• Insipid
• Lumpy
• Menacing
• Naughty
• None
• Offensive
• Pessimistic
• Quit
• Repellant
• Scare
• Smelly
• Substandard
• Terrifying
• Unfair
• Unwanted
• Vile
• Wicked
• Angry
• Belligerent
• Coarse
• Crazy
• Dead
• Disease
• Feeble
• Greed
• Harmful
• Ill
• Injurious
• Messy
• Negate
• No one
• Old
• Petty
• Reptilian
• Scary
• Sobbing
• Suspect
• Threatening
• Unfavorable
• Unwelcome
• Villainous
• Woeful
• Annoy
• Bemoan
• Cold
• Creepy
• Decaying
• Disgusting
• Fight
• Grim
• Hate
• Immature
• Misshapen
• Negative
• Nothing
• Oppressive
• Plain
• Repugnant
• Scream
• Sorry
• Suspicious
• Unhappy
• Unwholesome
• Vindictive
• Worthless
• Anxious
• Beneath
• Cold-hearted
• Criminal
• Deformed
• Disheveled
• Filthy
• Grimace
• Hideous
• Imperfect
• Missing
• Never
• Neither
• Poisonous
• Repulsive
• Severe
• Spiteful
• Unhealthy
• Unwieldy
• Wound
• Apathy
• Boring
• Collapse
• Cruel
• Deny
• Dishonest
• Foul
• Gross
• Homely
• Impossible
• Misunderstood
• No
• Nowhere
• Poor
• Revenge
• Shocking
• Sticky
• Unjust
• Unwise
• Appalling
• Broken
• Confused
• Cry
• Deplorable
• Dishonorable
• Frighten
• Grotesque
• Horrendous
• Inane
• Moan
• Nobody
• Prejudice
• Revolting
• Shoddy
• Stinky
• Unlucky
• Upset
• Atrocious
• Contrary
• Cutting
• Depressed
• Dismal
• Frightful
• Gruesome
• Horrible
• Inelegant
• Moldy
• Nondescript
• Rocky
• Sick
• Stormy
• Unpleasant
• Awful
• Contradictory
• Deprived
• Distress
• Guilty
• Hostile
• Infernal
• Monstrous
• Nonsense
• Rotten
• Sickening
• Stressful
• Unsatisfactory

Negative Personality Adjectives

Abrasive

Abrasive people are often difficult on purpose and will disagree with others. They can be hurtful to others as well, and often will not care if they are doing so.

Apathetic

People who are apathetic lack the average amount of care for someone or something. While they are not outright hurtful or difficult, this can lead to a dip in the quality of their work or relationships.

Controlling

Someone who is controlling will often try to ensure things go their way, to the point that it is troubling for others.

Dishonest

Dishonest people will often lie, either outright or by omission. They may avoid the truth because they do not want to get into trouble or to cause confrontation.

Impatient

People who cannot wait for an outcome or result are impatient. They may rush their work, affecting the quality. They may rush others as well, which can impair their relationships.

Negative Feeling Adjectives

Anxious

If someone is feeling anxious, they are worried about something. This can affect their mood negatively and lead to problems with focus.

Betrayed

Someone who feels betrayed feels as though their trust has been violated, often by a friend or loved one.

Disappointed

Disappointment is felt when someone’s expectations are not met. These expectations can be for a person, situation, or item.

Embarrassed

People most often feel embarrassed when they feel that they have done something wrong or unappealing. This feeling is usually magnified if someone is caught doing something wrong.

Jealous

Someone is jealous when they see something they want in the possession of someone else. Jealousy is most often thought of as being over a partner or money but can be over an item or over social status as well.