Meaning & use
negatively impact
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
to have a harmful effect on something or someone
Grammar: Takes a direct object: negatively impact the environment. It is not used without an object.
Patterns
- negatively impact something
- negatively impact someone
- negatively impact the economy
- negatively impact health
Rising temperatures negatively impact crop production in many regions.
The new tax negatively impacted small businesses.
Poor sleep can negatively impact your ability to concentrate.
verbtransitive
to make something less successful or less effective
Grammar: Often used in business or academic contexts: negatively impact performance, results, or growth.
Patterns
- negatively impact performance
- negatively impact results
- negatively impact growth
The scandal negatively impacted the company's reputation.
Delays in the supply chain negatively impacted sales last quarter.
A lack of funding negatively impacted the research project.
Word forms
| third person singular | negatively impacts |
|---|---|
| past tense | negatively impacted |
| past participle | negatively impacted |
| -ing form | negatively impacting |
Common combinations
- negatively impact the environment
- Plastic waste negatively impacts the environment.
- negatively impact health
- Long working hours can negatively impact health.
- negatively impact the economy
- The strike negatively impacted the economy.
- negatively impact performance
- Stress negatively impacts performance at work.
- significantly negatively impact
- The new policy significantly negatively impacted rural communities.
Synonyms and how they differ
- harm
- 'Harm' is stronger and more direct; 'negatively impact' is more formal and often used in reports.
- damage
- 'Damage' suggests physical or serious harm; 'negatively impact' can refer to any kind of bad effect, including on abstract things like reputation.
- hurt
- 'Hurt' is more informal and often used for people's feelings or businesses; 'negatively impact' is neutral and formal.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: negatively impact or negatively effect? negatively impact or negatively impact on?
negatively impact vs negatively effect
'Effect' is usually a noun; the verb is 'affect'. So say 'negatively affect', not 'negatively effect'.
negatively impact vs negatively impact on
In British English you may see 'impact on', but with 'negatively' it is usually transitive: 'negatively impact something', without 'on'.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'Negatively impact' is transitive and takes a direct object: 'negatively impacted the workers'. 'Impact on' is possible without 'negatively', but 'negatively impacted on' is not standard; 'impact to' and 'impact for' are not used.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “negatively impact”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.