236 Negative Words With Meanings and Examples

Negative Words shows that you reject or disagree with something. We use negatives all the time in normal conversations, so a lot of these words should be familiar to you.

Negative Words

Below is negative words in English. This list is an excellent starting point for building vocabulary to speak English fluently. Here are more than 10 negative words for people you will find daily in your life.

1. Abrasive: (of a person or manner) showing little concern for the feelings of others; harsh. adjective

• Her abrasive and arrogant personal style won her few friends.

 

2. Abysmal: Extremely bad; appalling. adjective

• The quality of her work is abysmal.

 

3. Adverse: Preventing success or development; harmful; unfavorable. adjective

• Taxes are having an adverse effect on production.

 

4. Alarming: Worrying or disturbing. adjective

• Our countryside is disappearing at an alarming rate.

 

5. Angry: Feeling or showing strong annoyance, displeasure, or hostility; full of anger. adjective

• An angry customer.

 

6. Annoy: Irritate (someone); make (someone) a little angry. verb

• Your damned cheerfulness has always annoyed me.

 

7. Anxious

A: Experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. 

• She was extremely anxious about her exams. adjective 

B: Wanting something very much, typically with a feeling of unease. adjective

• The company was anxious to avoid any trouble.

 

8. Apathetic: Showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern. adjective

• Apathetic slackers who don't vote.

 

9. Apathy: lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. noun

• Widespread apathy among students.

 

10. Appalling: Causing shock or dismay; horrific. adjective

• The cat suffered appalling injuries during the attack. 

 

11. Atrocious: Horrifyingly wicked. adjective

• Atrocious cruelties. 

 

12. Awful

A: Very bad or unpleasant. adjective

• The place smelled awful.

B: Used to emphasize the extent of something, especially something unpleasant or negative. adjective

• I've made an awful fool of myself.

 

13. Bad

A: Of poor quality or a low standard. adjective

• A bad diet. 

B: Not such as to be hoped for or desired; unpleasant or unwelcome. adjective

• Bad weather.

C: Failing to conform to standards of moral virtue or acceptable conduct. adjective

• The bad guys.

D: (of a part of the body) injured, diseased, or painful. adjective

• A bad back.

E: (of food) decayed; putrid. adjective

• Everything in the fridge went bad.

F: Regretful, guilty, or ashamed about something. adjective

• She feels bad about ending their engagement.

G: Worthless; not valid. adjective

• He ran up 87 bad checks.

14. Banal: So lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring. adjective

• Songs with banal, repeated words.

 

15. Barbed: Having a barb or barbs. adjective

• Barbed arrows.

 

16. Bemoan: Express discontent or sorrow over (something). verb

• It was no use bemoaning her lot. 

 

17. Beneath: Under something, or in a lower position than something. adverb preposition

• He hid the letter beneath a pile of papers. 

 

18. Betray: Expose (one's country, a group, or a person) to danger by treacherously giving information to an enemy. verb

• A double agent who betrayed some 400 British and French agents to the Germans.

 

19. Boring: Not interesting; tedious. adjective

• I've got a boring job in an office. 

 

20. Broken

A: Having been fractured or damaged and no longer in one piece or in working order. adjective

• He had a broken arm.

B: (of a person) having given up all hope; despairing. adjective

• He went to his grave a broken man.

C: Having breaks or gaps in continuity. adjective

• A broken white line across the road.

D: Having an uneven and rough surface. adjective

• Broken ground.

21. Callous: Showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others. adjective

• His callous comments about the murder made me shiver. 

 

22. Can’t

A: Hypocritical and sanctimonious talk, typically of a moral, religious, or political nature. noun

• He had no time for the cant of the priests about sin"

B: Language peculiar to a specified group or profession and regarded with disparagement. noun

• Thieves' cant.

C: Talk hypocritically and sanctimoniously about something. verb

• If they'd stop canting about “honest work,” they might get somewhere. 

 

23. Clumsy: Awkward in movement or in handling things. adjective

• The cold made his fingers clumsy. 

 

24. Coarse: (of a person or their speech) rude, crude, or vulgar. adjective

• Aman of coarse speech.

 

25. Cold

A: Of or at a low or relatively low temperature, especially when compared with the human body. adjective

• A freezing cold day.

B: Lacking affection or warmth of feeling; unemotional.

• How cold and calculating he was. adjective

C: (of the scent or trail of a hunted person or animal) no longer fresh and easy to follow. adjective

• The trail went cold.

D: Without preparation or rehearsal; unawares. adjective

• Going into the test cold.

E: A low temperature, especially in the atmosphere; cold weather; a cold environment. noun

• My teeth chattered with the cold.

F: A common viral infection in which the mucous membrane of the nose and throat becomes inflamed, typically causing running at the nose, sneezing, a sore throat, and other similar symptoms. noun

• Suzie's got a cold. 

 

26. Cold-hearted: Lacking affection or warmth; unfeeling. adjective

• A cold-hearted thief stole a bag full of Christmas presents. 

 

27. Collapse

A: (of a structure) fall down or in; give way. verb

• The roof collapsed on top of me. 

B: (of a person) fall down and become unconscious, typically through illness or injury. verb

• He collapsed from loss of blood.

C: (of an institution or undertaking) fail suddenly and completely. verb

• In the face of such resolve his opposition finally collapsed.

D: An instance of a structure falling down or in. noun

• The collapse of a railroad bridge.

 

28. Confused: (of a person) unable to think clearly; bewildered. adjective

• She was utterly confused about what had just happened.

 

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29. Contradictory: Mutually opposed or inconsistent. adjective

• The two attitudes are contradictory.

 

30. Contrary

A: Opposite in nature, direction, or meaning. adjective

• He ignored contrary advice and agreed on the deal. 

B: Perversely inclined to disagree or to do the opposite of what is expected or desired. adjective

• She is sulky and contrary where her work is concerned.

C: The opposite. noun

• The magazine has proved that the contrary is true.

 

31. Control

A: The power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events. noun

• The whole operation is under the control of a production manager.

B: Take into account (an extraneous factor that might affect results) when performing an experiment. verb

• No attempt was made to control for variations.

 

32. Corrosive: Tending to cause corrosion. adjective

• The corrosive effects of salt water.

 

33. Corrupt

A: Having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain. adjective

• Unscrupulous logging companies assisted by corrupt officials.

B: (of a text or a computer database or program) made unreliable by errors or alterations. adjective

• A progressively corrupt magnetic record is usable nonetheless.

C: (of organic or inorganic matter) in a state of decay; rotten or putrid. adjective

• A corrupt and rotting corpse.

D: Cause to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.

• There is a continuing fear of firms corrupting politicians in the search for contracts. verb

E: Change or debase by making errors or unintentional alterations. verb

• Epicurus's teachings have since been much corrupted.

F: Infect; contaminate. verb

• The corrupting smell of death. 

 

34. Crazy

A: Mentally deranged, especially as manifested in a wild or aggressive way. adjective informal

• Stella went crazy and assaulted a visitor.

B: Extremely enthusiastic. adjective informal

• I'm crazy about Cindy.

C: (of an angle) appearing absurdly out of place or in an unlikely position. adjective informal

• The monument leaned at a crazy angle.

 

35. Creepy: Causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or unease. adjective informal

• The creepy feelings one often gets in a strange house. 

 

36. Criminal

A: A person who has committed a crime. noun

• These men are dangerous criminals.

B: Relating to crime. adjective

• They are charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

 

37. Cruel: Willfully causing pain or suffering to others, or feeling no concern about it. adjective

• People who are cruel to animals. 

 

38. Cry

A: Shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow. verb

• Don't cry—it'll be all right.

B: Shout or scream, typically to express fear, pain, or grief. verb

• The center forward cried in pain as he went down under the challenge.

C: A loud inarticulate shout or scream expressing a powerful feeling or emotion. noun

• A cry of despair.

D: A spell of weeping. noun

• I still have a cry, sometimes, when I realize that my mother is dead.

 

39. Cutting

A: The action of cutting something. noun

• The cutting of the cake.

B: A piece cut off from something, especially what remains when something is being trimmed or prepared. noun

• Grass cuttings.

C: Capable of cutting something. adjective

• The cutting blades of the hedge trimmer.

 

40. Damage

A: Physical harm caused to something in such a way as to impair its value, usefulness, or normal function. noun

• Bombing caused extensive damage to the town.

B: A sum of money claimed or awarded in compensation for a loss or an injury. noun

• She was awarded $284,000 in damages.

C: Inflict physical harm on (something) so as to impair its value, usefulness, or normal function. verb

• The car was badly damaged in the accident. 

 

41. Damaging: Causing physical damage. adjective

• New cars are less damaging to the environment. 

42. Dastardly: Wicked and cruel. adjective

• Pirates and their dastardly deeds. 

 

43. Dead

A: No longer alive. adjective

• A dead body.

B: (of a place or time) characterized by a lack of activity or excitement. adjective

• Brussels isn't dead after dark, if you know where to look.

C: No longer current, relevant, or important. adjective

• Pollution had become a dead issue.

D: Absolutely; completely. adverb

• You're dead right. 

 

44. Decaying: Rotting or decomposing through the action of bacteria and fungi. adjective

• The odor of decaying fish. 

 

45. Deformed: (of a person or part of the body) not having the normal or natural shape or form; misshapen. adjective

• His deformed hands.

 

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46. Deny

A: State that one refuses to admit the truth or existence of. verb

• They deny any responsibility for the tragedy.

B: Refuse to give or grant (something requested or desired) to (someone). verb

• The inquiry was denied access to intelligence sources.

 

47. Deplorable: Deserving strong condemnation. adjective

• The deplorable conditions in which most prisoners are held.

 

48. Depressed: Very sad, often for a long time. adjective

• She’s been very depressed since her marriage broke up. 

 

49. Deprived: Suffering a severe and damaging lack of basic material and cultural benefits. adjective

• The charity cares for destitute and deprived children. 

 

50. Despicable: Deserving hatred and contempt. adjective

• A despicable crime. 

 

51. Detrimental: Tending to cause harm. adjective

• Moving her could have a detrimental effect on her health. 

 

52. Dirty

A: Covered or marked with an unclean substance. adjective

• A tray of dirty cups and saucers.

B: Make dirty. verb

• She didn't like him dirtying her nice clean towels. 

 

53. Disappointed: (of a person) sad or displeased because someone or something has failed to fulfill one's hopes or expectations. adjective

• I'm disappointed in you, Mary. 

 

54. Disease: A disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury. noun

• Bacterial meningitis is a rare disease. 

 

55. Disgusting: Arousing revulsion or strong indignation. adjective

• He had the most disgusting rotten teeth. 

 

56. Disheveled: (of a person's hair, clothes, or appearance) untidy; disordered. adjective

• A man with long disheveled hair.

 

57. Dishonest: Behaving or prone to behave in an untrustworthy or fraudulent way. adjective

• He was a dishonest hypocrite prepared to exploit his family. 

 

58. Dishonorable: Bringing shame or disgrace on someone or something. adjective

• His crimes are petty and dishonorable. 

 

59. Dishonorable: Bringing shame or disgrace on someone or something. adjective

• His crimes are petty and dishonorable. 

 

60. Dismal: Depressing; dreary. adjective

• The dismal weather made the late afternoon seem like evening.

 

61. Distress

A: Extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain. noun

• To his distress he saw that she was trembling.

B: Cause (someone) anxiety, sorrow, or pain. verb

• I didn't mean to distress you.

C: Give (furniture, leather, or clothing) simulated marks of age and wear. verb

• The manner in which leather jackets are industrially distressed.

62. Don’t: Short form of "do not"

• Please don’t talk during the exam.

 

63. Dreadful: Causing or involving great suffering, fear, or unhappiness; extremely bad or serious. adjective

• There's been a dreadful accident. 

 

64. Dreary: Dull, bleak, and lifeless; depressing. adjective

• The dreary routine of working, eating, and trying to sleep.

 

65. Embarrassed: Feeling or showing embarrassment. adjective

• An embarrassed silence.

 

66. Enraged: Very angry; furious. adjective

• An enraged mob screamed abuse.

 

67. Erode: To rub or be rubbed away gradually. verb

• Wind and rain have eroded the statues into shapeless lumps of stone. 

 

68. Evil

A: Profoundly immoral and wicked. adjective

• His evil deeds.

B: Profound immorality and wickedness, especially when regarded as a supernatural force. noun

• The world is stalked by relentless evil. 

 

69. Fail

A: Be unsuccessful in achieving one's goal. verb

• He failed in his attempt to secure election.

B: Neglect to do something. verb

• The firm failed to give adequate risk warnings.

C: Break down; cease to work well. verb

• A truck whose brakes had failed. 

 

70. Faulty: Working badly or unreliably because of imperfections. adjective

• A car with faulty brakes.

 

71. Fear

A: An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. noun

• He is prey to irrational fears.

B: Be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening. verb

• Farmers fear that they will lose business. 

 

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72. Feeble: Lacking physical strength, especially as a result of age or illness. adjective

• My legs are very feeble after the flu.

 

73. Fight

A: Take part in a violent struggle involving the exchange of physical blows or the use of weapons. verb

• The men were fighting.

B: A violent confrontation or struggle. noun

• We'll get into a fight and wind up with bloody noses. 

 

74. Filthy

A: Disgustingly dirty. adjective

• A filthy hospital with no sanitation.

B: To an extreme and often disgusting extent. adverb informal

• He has become filthy rich.

 

75. Foul

A: Offensive to the senses, especially through having a disgusting smell or taste or being unpleasantly soiled. adjective

• A foul odor.

B: Wicked or immoral. adjective

• Murder most foul.

C: Containing or charged with noxious matter; polluted. adjective

• Foul, swampy water.

D: (of the weather) wet and stormy. adjective

• He walked in fair and foul weather.

E: Disease in the feet of cattle. noun

• He was indeed suffering from foul of the foot.

F: Make foul or dirty; pollute. verb

• Factories that fouled the atmosphere.

G: Collide with or obstruct. verb

• The ships became overcrowded and fouled each other. 

 

76. Frighten: Make (someone) afraid or anxious. verb

• The savagery of his thoughts frightened him. 

 

77. Frightful: Used to emphasize what you are saying, especially how bad something is. adjective

• The weather outside was frightful. 

 

78. Gawky: Nervously awkward and ungainly. adjective

• A gawky teenager.

 

79. Ghastly

A: Causing great horror or fear; frightful or macabre. adjective

• She was overcome with horror at the ghastly spectacle.

B: Extremely unwell. adjective

• He always felt ghastly first thing in the morning.

C: Very objectionable, bad, or unpleasant. adjective informal

• We had to wear ghastly old-fashioned dresses.

 

80. Grave

A: A place of burial for a dead body, typically a hole dug in the ground and marked by a stone or mound. noun

• The coffin was lowered into the grave.

B: Giving cause for alarm; serious. adjective

• A matter of grave concern. 

 

81. Greed: Intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. noun

• Mercenaries who had allowed greed to overtake their principles.

 

82. Grim: Forbidding or uninviting. adjective

• His grim expression. 

 

83. Grimace:

A: An ugly, twisted expression on a person's face, typically expressing disgust, pain, or wry amusement. noun

• She gave a grimace of pain.

B: Make a grimace. verb

• I sipped the coffee and grimaced. 

 

84. Gross

A: (especially of wrongdoing) very obvious and unacceptable; blatant. adjective

• Gross human rights abuses.

B: Very rude or coarse; vulgar. adjective

• The duties we felt called upon to perform toward our inferiors were only gross, material ones.

 

85. Grotesque

A: Comically or repulsively ugly or distorted. adjective

• Grotesque facial distortions.

B: A very ugly or comically distorted figure, creature, or image. noun

• The rods are carved in the form of a series of gargoyle faces and grotesques.

 

86. Gruesome: Causing repulsion or horror; grisly. adjective

• A most gruesome murder. 

 

87. Guilty: Culpable of or responsible for a specified wrongdoing. adjective

• He was found guilty of manslaughter. 

 

88. Haggard: Looking exhausted and unwell, especially from fatigue, worry, or suffering. adjective

• I trailed on behind, haggard and disheveled.

 

89. Hard

A: Solid, firm, and rigid; not easily broken, bent, or pierced. adjective

• A hard mattress.

B: Done with a great deal of force or strength. adjective

• A hard blow to the head.

C: Requiring a great deal of endurance or effort. adjective

• Stooping over all day was hard work.

 

90. Hard-hearted: Incapable of being moved to pity or tenderness; unfeeling. adjective

• Only the most hard-hearted man would not have offered comfort. 

 

91. Harmful: Causing or likely to cause harm. adjective

• Sugars that can be harmful to the teeth. 

 

92. Hate

A: Feel intense or passionate dislike for (someone). verb

• The boys hate each other. 

B: Intense or passionate dislike. noun

• Feelings of hate and revenge.

 

93. Hideous: Ugly or disgusting to look at. adjective

• His smile made him look more hideous than ever. 

 

94. Homely: (of a person) ugly. adjective

• The man was homely and overweight. 

 

95. Horrendous: Extremely unpleasant, horrifying, or terrible. adjective

• She suffered horrendous injuries.

 

96. Horrible: Causing or likely to cause horror; shocking. adjective

• A horrible massacre.

 

97. Hostile: Unfriendly; antagonistic. adjective

• A hostile audience.

 

98. Hurt

A: Cause physical pain or injury to. verb

• Ow! You're hurting me!

B: Physically injured. adjective

• He complained of a hurt leg and asked his trainer to stop the fight.

C: Physical injury; harm. noun

• Rolling properly into a fall minimizes hurt. 

 

99. Hurtful: Causing distress to someone's feelings. adjective

• His hurtful remarks. 

 

100. Icky: Unpleasant, especially to look at. adjective informal

• An icky shade of green. 

 

101. Ignorant: Lacking knowledge or awareness in general; uneducated or unsophisticated. adjective

• He was told constantly that he was ignorant and stupid. 

 

102. Ignore: Refuse to take notice of or acknowledge; disregard intentionally. verb

• He ignored her outraged question.

 

103. Ill: Not feeling well, or suffering from a disease. adjective

• I felt ill so I went home.

 

104. Immature: Not fully developed. adjective

• Many of the fish caught are immature.

 

105. Impatient

A: Having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked. adjective

• An impatient motorist blaring his horn.

B: Restlessly eager. adjective

• They are impatient for change. 

 

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106. Imperfect: Not perfect; faulty or incomplete. adjective

• An imperfect grasp of English. 

 

107. Impossible: Not able to occur, exist, or be done. adjective

• A seemingly impossible task.

 

108. Inane: Silly; stupid. adjective

• Don't constantly badger people with inane questions. 

 

109. Inelegant: Having or showing a lack of physical grace, elegance, or refinement. adjective

• He came skidding to an inelegant halt. 

 

110. Infernal

A: Relating to or characteristic of hell or the underworld. adjective

• The infernal regions.

B: Irritating and tiresome (used for emphasis). Informal adjective

• You're an infernal nuisance.

 

111. Injure: Do physical harm or damage to (someone). verb

• The explosion injured several people. 

 

112. Injurious: Causing or likely to cause damage or harm. adjective

• High temperature is injurious to mangoes.

 

113. Insane: In a state of mind which prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction; seriously mentally ill. adjective

• He had gone insane. 

 

114. Insidious: Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects. adjective

• Sexually transmitted diseases can be insidious and sometimes without symptoms. 

 

115. Insipid: Lacking flavor. adjective

• Mugs of insipid coffee.

 

116. Jealous: Feeling or showing envy of someone or their achievements and advantages. adjective

• He grew jealous of her success.

 

117. Junky: Variant spelling of junkie. noun informal

• The toilets are often used by junkies who leave their needles lying around on the floor.

 

118. Lose

A: Be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something). verb 

• I've lost my appetite.

B: Become unable to find (something or someone). verb 

• I've lost the car keys.

C: Fail to win (a game or contest). verb 

• They lost by one vote.

D: Earn less (money) than one is spending or has spent. verb 

• The paper is losing $500,000 a month.

E: Waste or fail to take advantage of (time or an opportunity). verb 

• They lost every chance to score in the first inning.

 

119. Lousy: Very poor or bad; disgusting. adjective informal. 

• The service is usually lousy.

 

120. Lumpy: Full of or covered with lumps. adjective

• He lay on the lumpy mattress. 

 

121. Malicious: Characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm. adjective

• The transmission of malicious software such as computer viruses. 

 

122. Mean: Unkind, spiteful, or unfair. adjective

• It was very mean of me.

 

123. Menacing: Suggesting the presence of danger; threatening. adjective

• A menacing tone of voice.

 

124. Messy

A: Untidy or dirty. adjective

• His messy hair.

B: (of a situation) confused and difficult to deal with. adjective

• A messy divorce.

 

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125. Misshapen: Not having the normal or natural shape or form. adjective

• Misshapen fruit. 

 

126. Missing: (of a thing) not able to be found because it is not in its expected place. adjective

• A quantity of cash has gone missing.

 

127. Misunderstood: Incorrectly interpreted or understood. adjective

• He is one of football's most misunderstood men.

 

128. Moan

A: A long, low sound made by a person expressing physical or mental suffering or sexual pleasure. noun

• She gave a low moan of despair.

B: Make a long, low sound expressing physical or mental suffering or sexual pleasure. verb

• Just then their patient moaned and opened his eyes.

 

129. Moldy: Covered with a fungal growth that causes decay, due to age or damp conditions. adjective

• Moldy bread.

 

130. Monstrous: Having the ugly or frightening appearance of a monster. adjective

• Monstrous, bug-eyed fish.

 

131. Naive: (of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment. adjective

• The rather naive young man had been totally misled.

 

132. Nasty

A: Highly unpleasant, especially to the senses; physically nauseating. adjective

• Plastic bags burn with a nasty, acrid smell.

B: (of a person or animal) behaving in an unpleasant or spiteful way. adjective

• Harry was a nasty, foul-mouthed old devil.

C: Physically or mentally damaging or harmful. adjective

• A nasty, vicious-looking hatchet.

D: An unpleasant or harmful person or thing. noun informal

• Bacteria and other nasties.

 

133. Naughty

A: Especially of children) disobedient; badly behaved. adjective

• You've been a really naughty boy.

B: Mildly rude or indecent, typically because related to sex. adjective informal

• B: Naughty goings-on.

 

134. Negate

A: Nullify; make ineffective. verb

• Alcohol negates the effects of the drug.

B: Deny the existence of (something). verb

• Negating the political nature of education.

 

135. Negative

A: Expressing "no". adjective

• We received a negative answer to our request.

B: A negative sentence or phrase is one that contains a word such as "not", "no", "never", or "nothing". adjective

• I've never seen him in my life" is a negative sentence.

 

136. Neither

A: Used before the first of two (or occasionally more) alternatives that are being specified (the others being introduced by “nor”) to indicate that they are each untrue or each do not happen. adverb

• Unlike her friends, she is neither a snob nor a gossip.

B: Used to introduce a further negative statement. adverb

• He didn't remember, and neither did I.

C: Not the one nor the other of two people or things. pronoun

• Neither of us believes it.

 

137. Never: Not at any time or not on any occasion. adverb 

• We've never been to Australia.

 

138. No: Not any; not one; not a. determiner

• There's no butter left.

 

139. No one: No person; not a single person. pronoun

• No one came. 

 

140. Nobody

A: No person; no one. pronoun

• Nobody was at home.

B: A person of no importance or authority. noun

• They went from nobodies to superstars.

141. Nondescript

A: Lacking distinctive or interesting features or characteristics. adjective

• She lived in a nondescript suburban apartment block.

B: A nondescript person or thing. noun

• The nondescripts were straight out of the nine-to-five banking bureaucracy.

 

142. None: Not one (of a group of people or things), or not any. pronoun

• None of my children has/have blonde hair. 

 

143. Nonsense

A: Spoken or written words that have no meaning or make no sense. noun

• He was talking absolute nonsense.

B: Foolish or unacceptable behavior. noun

• Put a stop to that nonsense, will you?

 

144. Not

A: Used to form a negative phrase after verbs like "be", "can", "have", "will", "must", etc., usually used in the short form "n't" in speech. adverb

• He's not fat!

B: Used to give the next word or group of words a negative meaning. adverb

• I told you not to do that.

C: Used after verbs like "be afraid", "hope", "suspect", etc. in short, negative replies. adverb

• "Is he coming with us?" "I hope not."

 

145. Nothing

A: Not anything. pronoun

• There's nothing in the drawer - I took everything out.

B: In no way. adverb

• Mainly UK He had two letters of refusal but, nothing daunted (= not discouraged), he tried again.

C: Someone of no value or importance. noun

• He's a nothing, a low-down, useless nobody.

 

146. Nowhere

A: In, at, or to no place; not anywhere. adverb

• Nowhere does the article mention the names of the people involved.

B: Not in a successful or winning position. adverb

• The horse I bet on finished nowhere.

147. Noxious: Harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant. adjective

• They were overcome by the noxious fumes.

 

148. Objectionable: Arousing distaste or opposition; unpleasant or offensive. adjective 

• I find his theory objectionable in its racist undertones.

 

149. Odious: Extremely unpleasant; repulsive. adjective 

• A pretty odious character.

 

150. Offensive

A: Causing someone to feel deeply hurt, upset, or angry. adjective

• The allegations made are deeply offensive to us.

B: Actively aggressive; attacking. adjective

• Offensive operations against the insurgents.

C: An attacking military campaign. noun

• An impending military offensive against the guerrillas.

 

151. Old: Belonging only or chiefly to the past; former or previous. adjective

• Valuation under the old rating system was inexact. 

 

See: All the Different Vocabulary Between American and British English

 

152. Oppressive: Unjustly inflicting hardship and constraint, especially on a minority or other subordinate group. adjective 

• An oppressive dictatorship.

 

153. Pain

A: Physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury. noun

• She's in great pain.

B: Careful effort; great care or trouble. noun

• She took pains to see that everyone ate well.

C: Cause mental or physical pain to. verb

• It pains me to say this.

 

154. Perturb

A: Make (someone) anxious or unsettled. verb

• They were perturbed by her capricious behavior"

B: Subject (a system, moving object, or process) to an influence tending to alter its normal or regular state or path. technical

• Nuclear weapons could be used to perturb the orbit of an asteroid.

 

155. Pessimistic: Tending to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen. adjective 

• He was pessimistic about the prospects. 

156. Petty

A: Not important and not worth giving attention to. adjective

• Prisoners complain that they are subjected to too many petty rules and restrictions.

B: Complaining too much about things that are not important. adjective

• Don't be so petty!

157. Plain

A: Not decorated or elaborate; simple or ordinary in character. adjective

• Good plain food.

B: Clearly; unequivocally (used for emphasis). noun

• Perhaps the youth was just plain stupid.

 

158. Poisonous: (of a substance or plant) causing or capable of causing death or illness if taken into the body. adjective

• Poisonous chemicals.

 

159. Poor

A: Lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society. adjective

• People who were too poor to afford a telephone.

B: Worse than is usual, expected, or desirable; of a low or inferior standard or quality. adjective

• Many people are eating a very poor diet.

C: (of a person) considered to be deserving of pity or sympathy. adjective

• They inquired after poor Dorothy's broken hip.

 

160. Prejudice

A: Preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. noun

• Prejudice against people from different backgrounds"

B: Harm or injury that results or may result from some action or judgment. Law noun

• Prejudice resulting from delay in the institution of the proceedings"

C: Give rise to prejudice in (someone); make biased. verb

• The statement might prejudice the jury"

D: Cause harm to (a state of affairs). Law verb

• Delay is likely to prejudice the child's welfare.

 

161. Questionable: Doubtful as regards truth or quality. adjective 

• It is questionable whether any of these exceptions is genuine.

 

162. Quirky: Characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits. adjective

• Her sense of humor was decidedly quirky.

 

163. Quit

A: Leave (a place), usually permanently. verb

• He was ordered to quit the cabin immediately.

B: Behave in a specified way. verb

• Quit yourselves like men, and fight.

C: Rid of. adjective

• I want to be quit of him.

 

164. Reject

A: Dismiss as inadequate, inappropriate, or not to one's taste. verb

• Union negotiators rejected a 1.5 percent pay increase.

B: Person or thing dismissed as failing to meet standards or satisfy tastes. noun

• Some of the team's rejects have gone on to prove themselves in championships.

 

165. Renege: Go back on a promise, undertaking, or contract. verb

• Have reneged on their promises to us.

 

See: 18 Informal English Abbreviations

 

166. Repellent: Causing disgust or distaste. adjective

• The idea was slightly repellent to her.

 

167. Reptilian: (of a person) deeply disliked and despised; repulsive. adjective

• A reptilian villain with no redeeming features.

 

168. Repugnant

A: Extremely distasteful; unacceptable. adjective

• The thought of going back into the fog was repugnant to him"

B: In conflict with; incompatible with. adjective

• A bylaw must not be repugnant to the general law of the country.

 

169. Repulsive: Arousing intense distaste or disgust. adjective

• A repulsive smell.

 

170. Revenge

A: The action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands. noun

• Other spurned wives have taken public revenge on their husbands.

B: Inflict hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong done to (someone else). verb

• It's a pity he chose that way to revenge his sister.

 

171. Revolting: Causing intense disgust; disgusting. adjective

• There was a revolting smell that lingered in the air.

 

172. Rocky

A: Tending to rock or shake; unsteady. adjective

• Older types of sash windows are a bit rocky.

B: Difficult and full of obstacles or problems. adjective

• The marriage seemingly got off to a rocky start.

 

173. Rotten

A: Suffering from decay. adjective

• Rotten eggs.

B: Very bad. informal adjective

• She was a rotten cook.

C: To an extreme degree; very much. informal adverb

• Your mother said that I spoiled you rotten.

 

174. Rude: Offensively impolite or ill-mannered. adjective

• She had been rude to her boss. 

 

175. Ruthless: Having or showing no pity or compassion for others. adjective

• A ruthless manipulator.

 

176. Sad

A: Feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy. adjective

• I was sad and subdued.

B: Pathetically inadequate or unfashionable. informal adjective

• The show is tongue-in-cheek—anyone who takes it seriously is a bit sad.

 

177. Savage

A: (of an animal or force of nature) fierce, violent, and uncontrolled. adjective

• Packs of savage dogs roamed the streets.

B: (of something bad or negative) very great; severe. adjective

• The decision was a savage blow for the town.

C: A brutal or vicious person. noun

• The mother of one of the victims has described his assailants as savages.

D: (especially of a dog or wild animal) attack ferociously and maul. verb

• Ewes savaged by marauding dogs.

 

178. Scare

A: Cause great fear or nervousness in; frighten. verb

• I was scared stiff.

B: A sudden attack of fright. noun

• Gosh, that gave me a scare!.

 

179. Scary: Frightening; causing fear. adjective informal

• A scary movie.

 

180. Scream

A: Give a long, loud, piercing cry or cries expressing excitement, great emotion, or pain. verb

• They could hear him screaming in pain.

B: A long, loud, piercing cry expressing extreme emotion or pain. noun

• They were awakened by screams for help.

 

181. Severe

A: (of something bad or undesirable) very great; intense. adjective

• A severe shortage of technicians.

B: Strict or harsh. adjective

• The charges would have warranted a severe sentence.

 

182. Shocking: Causing indignation or disgust; offensive. adjective 

• Shocking behavior.

183. Shoddy

A: Badly made or done. adjective

• We're not paying good money for shoddy goods.

B:An inferior quality yarn or fabric made from the shredded fiber of waste woolen cloth or clippings. noun

• The production of shoddy and mattress stuffing.

184. Sick

A: Affected by physical or mental illness. adjective

• Nursing very sick children.

B: Feeling nauseous and wanting to vomit. adjective

• He was starting to feel sick.

C: Intensely annoyed with or bored by (someone or something) as a result of having had too much of them. adjective

• I'm absolutely sick of your moods.

D: (especially of humor) having something unpleasant such as death, illness, or misfortune as its subject and dealing with it in an offensive way. informal adjective

• This was someone's idea of a sick joke.

185. Sickening: Causing or liable to cause a feeling of nausea or disgust. adjective

• A sickening stench of blood.

 

186. Sinister: Giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening or will happen. adjective

• There was something sinister about that murmuring voice. 

 

187. Slimy: Covered by or having the feel or consistency of slime. adjective

• The thick, slimy mud.

188. Smelly: Having a strong or unpleasant smell. adjective 

• Smelly feet.

189. Sobbing

A: Noisy crying. noun 

• Regina couldn't hear her over her sobbing.

B: Cying noisily. adjective 

• Karla collapsed in a sobbing heap at the feet of the other girls.

 

190. Sorry: Feeling sadness, sympathy, or disappointment, especially because something unpleasant has happened or been done. adjective

• I'm just sorry about all the trouble I've caused her.

 

191. Spiteful: Showing or caused by malice. adjective 

• The teachers made spiteful little jokes about me.

 

192. Sticky

A: (of the weather) hot and damp; muggy. adjective

• It was an unusually hot and sticky summer.

B: Involving problems; difficult or awkward. informal adjective

• The relationship is going through a sticky patch.

 

193. Stinky: Having a strong or unpleasant smell. informal adjective

• Stinky cheese.

 

194. Stormy: (of weather) characterized by strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow. adjective

• A dark and stormy night.

195. Stressful: Causing mental or emotional stress. adjective

• Corporate finance work can be stressful.

 

196. Stuck

A: In a difficult situation, or unable to change or get away from a situation. adjective

• We'd be stuck if your sister hadn't offered to come over and look after the children tonight.

B: Not able to continue reading, answering questions, etc. because something is too difficult. adjective

• I'm really stuck - do you have any idea how to answer these questions?

197. Stupid

A: Having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense. adjective

• I was stupid enough to think she was perfect.

B: A stupid person (often used as a term of address). informal noun

• You're not a coward, stupid!

198. Substandard

A: Below the usual or required standard. adjective

• Substandard housing.

B: Another term for nonstandard. adjective

• Substandard spellings.

199. Suspect

A: Have an idea or impression of the existence, presence, or truth of (something) without certain proof. verb

• If you suspect a gas leak, do not turn on an electric light.

B: Doubt the genuineness or truth of. verb

• A broker whose honesty he had no reason to suspect.

C: A person thought to be guilty of a crime or offense. noun

• The police have arrested a suspect.

D: Not to be relied on or trusted; possibly dangerous or false. adjective

• A suspect package was found on the platform.

200. Suspicious: Having or showing a cautious distrust of someone or something. adjective

• He was suspicious of her motives.

 

201. Tense

A: (especially of a muscle or someone's body) stretched tight or rigid. adjective

• She tried to relax her tense muscles.

B: Become tense, typically through anxiety or nervousness. verb

• Her body tensed up.

 

202. Terrible

A: Extremely or distressingly bad or serious. adjective

• A terrible crime.

B: Causing or likely to cause terror; sinister. adjective

• The stranger gave a terrible smile.

 

203. Terrifying: Causing extreme fear. adjective

• The terrifying events of the past few weeks.

 

204. Threatening: Having a hostile or deliberately frightening quality or manner. adjective 

• Her mother had received a threatening letter.

205. Ugly

A: Unpleasant or repulsive, especially in appearance. adjective

• People in school always told me I was ugly.

B: Involving or likely to involve violence or other unpleasantness. adjective

• The mood in the room turned ugly.

 

206. Undermine

A: Erode the base or foundation of (a rock formation). verb

• The flow of water had undermined pillars supporting the roof.

B: Lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of, especially gradually or insidiously. verb

• This could undermine years of hard work.

207. Unfair: Not based on or behaving according to the principles of equality and justice. adjective 

• At times like these the legal system appears inhumane and unfair.

208. Unfavorable

A: Expressing or showing a lack of approval or support. adjective

• Single mothers are often the target of unfavorable press attention.

B: Adverse; inauspicious. adjective

• It would be unwise to sell the company while the economic circumstances are so unfavorable.

209. Unhappy: Not happy. adjective

• An unhappy marriage.

210. Unhealthy: Harmful to health. adjective

• An unhealthy diet.

 

211. Unjust: Not based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair. adjective

• Resistance to unjust laws.

212. Unlucky: Having, bringing, or resulting from bad luck. adjective

• An unlucky defeat.

213. Unpleasant: Causing discomfort, unhappiness, or revulsion; disagreeable. adjective

• An unpleasant smell.

214. Unsatisfactory: Unacceptable because poor or not good enough. adjective

• An unsatisfactory situation.

215. Unsightly: Unpleasant to look at; ugly. adjective

• Unsightly warts.

 

See: The Difference Between Has Got and Have Got

216. Untoward: Unexpected and inappropriate or inconvenient. adjective

• Both tried to behave as if nothing untoward had happened.

 

217. Unwanted: Not or no longer desired. adjective

• Affairs can lead to unwanted pregnancies.

218. Unwelcome: (of a guest or new arrival) not gladly received. adjective 

• Guards kept out unwelcome visitors.

219. Unwholesome: Not characterized by or conducive to health or moral well-being. adjective 

• The use of the living room as sleeping quarters led to unwholesome crowding.

220. Unwieldy: Difficult to carry or move because of its size, shape, or weight. adjective

• The first mechanical clocks were large and unwieldy.

221. Unwise: (of a person or action) not wise or sensible; foolish. adjective 

• It is unwise to rely on hearsay evidence.

222. Upset

A: Make (someone) unhappy, disappointed, or worried. verb

• The accusation upset her.

B: Knock (something) over. verb

• He upset a tureen of soup.

C: Cause disorder in (something); disrupt. verb

• The dam will upset the ecological balance.

D: A state of being unhappy, disappointed, or worried. noun

• Domestic upsets.

E: A disturbance of a person's digestive system. noun

• A stomach upset.

F: Unhappy, disappointed, or worried. adjective

• She looked pale and upset.

223. Vice: Immoral or wicked behavior. noun 

• An open sewer of vice and crime.

224. Vicious

A: Deliberately cruel or violent. adjective

• A vicious assault"

B: Immoral. literary adjective

• Every soul on earth, virtuous or vicious, shall perish.

225. Vile: Extremely unpleasant. adjective

• He has a vile temper.

 

226. Villainous: Relating to, constituting, or guilty of wicked or criminal behavior. adjective

• His group of villainous accomplices are wreaking havoc on the city.

227. Vindictive: Having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge. adjective 

• The criticism was both vindictive and personalized.

 

228. Wary: Feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems. adjective

• Dogs that have been mistreated often remain very wary of strangers.

 

229. Weary:

A: Feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep. adjective

• He gave a long, weary sigh.

B: Cause to become tired. verb

• She was wearied by her persistent cough.

230. Wicked: Evil or morally wrong. adjective

• A wicked and unscrupulous politician.

 

231. Woeful: Characterized by, expressive of, or causing sorrow or misery. adjective

• Her face was woeful.

 

232. Worthless: Having no real value or use. adjective

• That promise is worthless.

233. Wound

A: An injury to living tissue caused by a cut, blow, or other impact, typically one in which the skin is cut or broken. noun

• A knife wound.

B: Inflict an injury on (someone). verb

• The sergeant was seriously wounded.

 

234. Yell

A: To shout something or make a loud noise, usually when you are angry, in pain, or excited. verb

• Our neighbours were yelling (obscenities) at each other this morning.

B: A loud shout, usually when you are angry, in pain, or excited. noun

• Suddenly there was a loud yell from the bathroom.

 

235. Yucky: Messy or disgusting. adjective informal

• Yucky green-gray slushy cabbage.

 

236. Zero: No or none; used to emphasize that something does not exist. adjective

• There's still zero evidence that she was directly involved in the decision.

 See: All Prepositional Phrases List in the English Language

 

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References

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