Negativity
ˌneɡəˈtɪvəti
Definitions
The expression or manifestation of pessimism, criticism, or negativity, often creating a discouraging atmosphere.
ˌneɡəˈtɪvəti
The state or quality of being negative.
Her constant negativity was draining for everyone around her.
💡 Simply: Negativity is like having a gloomy or grumpy outlook on things. It's when you focus on the bad parts of something instead of the good. For example, if your friend only talks about the bad things that happen at school, they might be showing some negativity!
👶 For kids: When you think or talk about only the bad things, that's negativity.
More Examples
The negativity in the news can be overwhelming sometimes.
We need to address the negativity surrounding this issue and find a more constructive approach.
How It's Used
"The therapist encouraged the patient to combat the negativity that was affecting their mental health."
"The constant negativity surrounding the project made it difficult to maintain morale."
Idioms & expressions
spread negativity
To communicate a pessimistic or critical attitude to others.
"Don't spread negativity in the group chat; try to offer solutions instead."
feed into negativity
To contribute to or encourage negative thoughts or feelings.
"His constant complaining only feeds into the negativity surrounding the project."
From negative + -ity. "Negative" comes from the Latin "negativus" (denying, opposing), from "negare" (to deny). The suffix "-ity" forms nouns expressing a state or quality.
The term 'negativity' emerged in the late 19th century, coinciding with the development of psychological studies of emotions and attitudes.
Memory tip
Imagine a dark cloud (negativity) covering everything, making things seem bad.