Skip to main content
negative light

negative light

4 5.9
A bad way to show or talk about something
  • noun
translation icon : luz negativa
  • Everyone will look at these students in a negative light.

But it's not a change that I think is done in a negative light.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The question remains then: why are officials generally perceived in such a negative light?

    Academic text (2007)
  • The show took aim at demonstration leaders, portraying them in a negative light.

    Blog text (25)
  • If you hate men, then you will be more willing to see them in a negative light.

    Blog text (30)
  • No one wants to be perceived by the majority in a negative light.

    Academic text (2001)
  • You cannot allow the place of business to be viewed in a negative light.

    Blog text (4)
  • Many commentators noted that the film cast the Bush administration in a relatively negative light.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Thompson disliked Frost intensely and saw the affair in a negative light.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Complementary brochures used the identical pieces of information, but some framed issues in a negative light, while others framed them in a positive light.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The authors, keen to portray globalization in the most negative light possible, twist their data to produce some truly odd propositions.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Many people view the organization in a negative light due to past controversies.

Synonyms

unfavorable
vsnegative light
  • US
31 4.5

Not good for success or approval

refers to a critical presentation rather than conditions preventing success
unflattering
vsnegative light
21 6.0

Making someone or something look worse than they really are

focuses on critical presentation broadly rather than only looks
unfavorably
vsnegative light
  • US
6 5.3

In a way that shows disapproval

gives a critical overall portrayal rather than just disapproval
in a bad light
vsnegative light
4 4.8

Make someone or something look bad to other people

presents things in a critical or harsh way beyond mere appearance
disparaging
vsnegative light
  • Offensive
1 7.0

Showing a low opinion of someone or something

is more about general critical presentation than open disrespect

Antonyms

592 1.3

Having a good effect or benefit

How Favorable

negative light
4 5.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

negative + light

The adjective 'negative' clearly means 'unfavorable', and 'light' is used metaphorically to mean a way of viewing or presenting something. Because the overall meaning ('seen or presented unfavorably') follows directly from combining these senses but relies on a conventional figurative use of 'light', learners must recognize the metaphor; this makes it partly but not fully predictable for B1 learners.

Etymology

Negative light may come from the image of shining a bad light on a person or scene so their faults show. The word negative means 'bad', so to put someone in a negative light is to show them in an 'unfavorable' or critical way.