negative sentiment

Meanings

1. 1phraseuncountable

   a general feeling of dislike, doubt, or pessimism that people have about someone or something.

   Grammar: Usually uncountable, so say 'negative sentiment grew', not 'a negative sentiment grew'.

   Patterns

   • negative sentiment about something
   • negative sentiment toward someone
   • negative sentiment among a group
   • express negative sentiment

   Negative sentiment about the new tax spread quickly on social media.

   Investors showed negative sentiment toward the company after the weak results.

   There is growing negative sentiment among staff about the longer hours.

2. 2phraseuncountablebusinessfinance

   in business and finance, an overall mood in which prices are expected to fall rather than rise.

   Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun in market reports; it often follows verbs like 'reflect' or 'signal'.

   Patterns

   • negative sentiment in the market
   • negative sentiment drives prices down
   • reflect negative sentiment

   Negative sentiment in the market pushed share prices lower for a third day.

   The survey reflects negative sentiment among small manufacturers.

   Traders said negative sentiment, not company news, caused the fall.

Common combinations

growing negative sentiment

Growing negative sentiment forced the board to change its plan.

negative sentiment toward someone

Her rude reply created negative sentiment toward the whole team.

negative sentiment about something

Negative sentiment about the merger worried the employees.

turn negative

Public opinion turned negative after the scandal.

negative sentiment in the market

Negative sentiment in the market kept buyers away.

Synonyms and how they differ

pessimism

Stronger and more personal; it describes a habit of expecting the worst, while negative sentiment is a shared mood that can change quickly.

disapproval

Focuses on a judgment that something is wrong, whereas negative sentiment is a broader feeling that may include fear or doubt.

unhappiness

Names an emotion felt by people; negative sentiment is more often used about groups, markets, or public opinion.

Opposites

Word family

sentiment noun

a feeling or opinion, often a general one.

sentimental adjective

showing gentle emotions such as affection or nostalgia.

sentimentality noun

the quality of being too easily moved by feelings.

Commonly confused: negative sentiment or negative feeling?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “negative sentiment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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