diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 97722f477..5e620c0b6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ## Unversioned
 
+- Minor: Added ability to negate search options by prefixing it with an exclamation mark (e.g. `!badge:mod` to search for messages where the author does not have the moderator badge). (#4207)
 - Minor: Search window input will automatically use currently selected text if present. (#4178)
 - Minor: Cleared up highlight sound settings (#4194)
 - Bugfix: Fixed highlight sounds not reloading on change properly. (#4194)
diff --git a/src/messages/search/AuthorPredicate.cpp b/src/messages/search/AuthorPredicate.cpp
index 77e02b296..c84b5d2e3 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/AuthorPredicate.cpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/AuthorPredicate.cpp
@@ -4,20 +4,18 @@
 
 namespace chatterino {
 
-AuthorPredicate::AuthorPredicate(const QStringList &authors)
-    : authors_()
+AuthorPredicate::AuthorPredicate(const QString &authors, bool negate)
+    : MessagePredicate(negate)
+    , authors_()
 {
     // Check if any comma-seperated values were passed and transform those
-    for (const auto &entry : authors)
+    for (const auto &author : authors.split(',', Qt::SkipEmptyParts))
     {
-        for (const auto &author : entry.split(',', Qt::SkipEmptyParts))
-        {
-            this->authors_ << author;
-        }
+        this->authors_ << author;
     }
 }
 
-bool AuthorPredicate::appliesTo(const Message &message)
+bool AuthorPredicate::appliesToImpl(const Message &message)
 {
     return authors_.contains(message.displayName, Qt::CaseInsensitive) ||
            authors_.contains(message.loginName, Qt::CaseInsensitive);
diff --git a/src/messages/search/AuthorPredicate.hpp b/src/messages/search/AuthorPredicate.hpp
index 8b3bbced2..2fb25c985 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/AuthorPredicate.hpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/AuthorPredicate.hpp
@@ -16,10 +16,12 @@ public:
     /**
      * @brief Create an AuthorPredicate with a list of users to search for.
      *
-     * @param authors a list of user names that a message should be sent from
+     * @param authors one or more comma-separated user names that a message should be sent from
+     * @param negate when set, excludes list of user names from results
      */
-    AuthorPredicate(const QStringList &authors);
+    AuthorPredicate(const QString &authors, bool negate);
 
+protected:
     /**
      * @brief Checks whether the message is authored by any of the users passed
      *        in the constructor.
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ public:
      * @return true if the message was authored by one of the specified users,
      *         false otherwise
      */
-    bool appliesTo(const Message &message);
+    bool appliesToImpl(const Message &message) override;
 
 private:
     /// Holds the user names that will be searched for
diff --git a/src/messages/search/BadgePredicate.cpp b/src/messages/search/BadgePredicate.cpp
index 308624658..555a2b36c 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/BadgePredicate.cpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/BadgePredicate.cpp
@@ -4,35 +4,33 @@
 
 namespace chatterino {
 
-BadgePredicate::BadgePredicate(const QStringList &badges)
+BadgePredicate::BadgePredicate(const QString &badges, bool negate)
+    : MessagePredicate(negate)
 {
     // Check if any comma-seperated values were passed and transform those
-    for (const auto &entry : badges)
+    for (const auto &badge : badges.split(',', Qt::SkipEmptyParts))
     {
-        for (const auto &badge : entry.split(',', Qt::SkipEmptyParts))
+        // convert short form name of certain badges to formal name
+        if (badge.compare("mod", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0)
         {
-            // convert short form name of certain badges to formal name
-            if (badge.compare("mod", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0)
-            {
-                this->badges_ << "moderator";
-            }
-            else if (badge.compare("sub", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0)
-            {
-                this->badges_ << "subscriber";
-            }
-            else if (badge.compare("prime", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0)
-            {
-                this->badges_ << "premium";
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                this->badges_ << badge;
-            }
+            this->badges_ << "moderator";
+        }
+        else if (badge.compare("sub", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0)
+        {
+            this->badges_ << "subscriber";
+        }
+        else if (badge.compare("prime", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0)
+        {
+            this->badges_ << "premium";
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            this->badges_ << badge;
         }
     }
 }
 
-bool BadgePredicate::appliesTo(const Message &message)
+bool BadgePredicate::appliesToImpl(const Message &message)
 {
     for (const Badge &badge : message.badges)
     {
diff --git a/src/messages/search/BadgePredicate.hpp b/src/messages/search/BadgePredicate.hpp
index f4e990eec..510f6e057 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/BadgePredicate.hpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/BadgePredicate.hpp
@@ -16,10 +16,12 @@ public:
     /**
      * @brief Create an BadgePredicate with a list of badges to search for.
      *
-     * @param badges a list of badges that a message should contain 
+     * @param badges one or more comma-separated badges that a message should contain
+     * @param negate when set, excludes list of badges from results
      */
-    BadgePredicate(const QStringList &badges);
+    BadgePredicate(const QString &badges, bool negate);
 
+protected:
     /**
      * @brief Checks whether the message contains any of the badges passed
      *        in the constructor.
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ public:
      * @return true if the message contains a badge listed in the specified badges,
      *         false otherwise
      */
-    bool appliesTo(const Message &message) override;
+    bool appliesToImpl(const Message &message) override;
 
 private:
     /// Holds the badges that will be searched for
diff --git a/src/messages/search/ChannelPredicate.cpp b/src/messages/search/ChannelPredicate.cpp
index 798c2df52..2f7f3f3fd 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/ChannelPredicate.cpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/ChannelPredicate.cpp
@@ -4,20 +4,18 @@
 
 namespace chatterino {
 
-ChannelPredicate::ChannelPredicate(const QStringList &channels)
-    : channels_()
+ChannelPredicate::ChannelPredicate(const QString &channels, bool negate)
+    : MessagePredicate(negate)
+    , channels_()
 {
     // Check if any comma-seperated values were passed and transform those
-    for (const auto &entry : channels)
+    for (const auto &channel : channels.split(',', Qt::SkipEmptyParts))
     {
-        for (const auto &channel : entry.split(',', Qt::SkipEmptyParts))
-        {
-            this->channels_ << channel;
-        }
+        this->channels_ << channel;
     }
 }
 
-bool ChannelPredicate::appliesTo(const Message &message)
+bool ChannelPredicate::appliesToImpl(const Message &message)
 {
     return channels_.contains(message.channelName, Qt::CaseInsensitive);
 }
diff --git a/src/messages/search/ChannelPredicate.hpp b/src/messages/search/ChannelPredicate.hpp
index 08521942a..a9f189089 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/ChannelPredicate.hpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/ChannelPredicate.hpp
@@ -16,10 +16,12 @@ public:
     /**
      * @brief Create a ChannelPredicate with a list of channels to search for.
      *
-     * @param channels a list of channel names that a message should be sent in
+     * @param channels one or more comma-separated channel names that a message should be sent in
+     * @param negate when set, excludes list of channel names from results
      */
-    ChannelPredicate(const QStringList &channels);
+    ChannelPredicate(const QString &channels, bool negate);
 
+protected:
     /**
      * @brief Checks whether the message was sent in any of the channels passed
      *        in the constructor.
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ public:
      * @return true if the message was sent in one of the specified channels,
      *         false otherwise
      */
-    bool appliesTo(const Message &message);
+    bool appliesToImpl(const Message &message) override;
 
 private:
     /// Holds the channel names that will be searched for
diff --git a/src/messages/search/LinkPredicate.cpp b/src/messages/search/LinkPredicate.cpp
index 45860a236..a592e4015 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/LinkPredicate.cpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/LinkPredicate.cpp
@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@
 
 namespace chatterino {
 
-LinkPredicate::LinkPredicate()
+LinkPredicate::LinkPredicate(bool negate)
+    : MessagePredicate(negate)
 {
 }
 
-bool LinkPredicate::appliesTo(const Message &message)
+bool LinkPredicate::appliesToImpl(const Message &message)
 {
     for (const auto &word : message.messageText.split(' ', Qt::SkipEmptyParts))
     {
diff --git a/src/messages/search/LinkPredicate.hpp b/src/messages/search/LinkPredicate.hpp
index 4d73920b5..c6419402f 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/LinkPredicate.hpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/LinkPredicate.hpp
@@ -12,15 +12,21 @@ namespace chatterino {
 class LinkPredicate : public MessagePredicate
 {
 public:
-    LinkPredicate();
+    /**
+     * @brief Create an LinkPredicate
+     * 
+     * @param negate when set, excludes messages containing links from results
+    */
+    LinkPredicate(bool negate);
 
+protected:
     /**
      * @brief Checks whether the message contains a link.
      *
      * @param message the message to check
      * @return true if the message contains a link, false otherwise
      */
-    bool appliesTo(const Message &message);
+    bool appliesToImpl(const Message &message) override;
 };
 
 }  // namespace chatterino
diff --git a/src/messages/search/MessageFlagsPredicate.cpp b/src/messages/search/MessageFlagsPredicate.cpp
index 84601a183..9bcee9843 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/MessageFlagsPredicate.cpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/MessageFlagsPredicate.cpp
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@
 
 namespace chatterino {
 
-MessageFlagsPredicate::MessageFlagsPredicate(const QString &flags)
-    : flags_()
+MessageFlagsPredicate::MessageFlagsPredicate(const QString &flags, bool negate)
+    : MessagePredicate(negate)
+    , flags_()
 {
     // Check if any comma-seperated values were passed and transform those
     for (const auto &flag : flags.split(',', Qt::SkipEmptyParts))
@@ -54,13 +55,15 @@ MessageFlagsPredicate::MessageFlagsPredicate(const QString &flags)
     }
 }
 
-bool MessageFlagsPredicate::appliesTo(const Message &message)
+bool MessageFlagsPredicate::appliesToImpl(const Message &message)
 {
     // Exclude timeout messages from system flag when timeout flag isn't present
     if (this->flags_.has(MessageFlag::System) &&
         !this->flags_.has(MessageFlag::Timeout))
+    {
         return message.flags.hasAny(flags_) &&
                !message.flags.has(MessageFlag::Timeout);
+    }
     return message.flags.hasAny(flags_);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/messages/search/MessageFlagsPredicate.hpp b/src/messages/search/MessageFlagsPredicate.hpp
index 2c3896546..a74d72ae2 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/MessageFlagsPredicate.hpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/MessageFlagsPredicate.hpp
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ public:
      * "system" is used for the "System" flag.
      *
      * @param flags a string comma seperated list of names for the flags a message should have
+     * @param negate when set, excludes messages containg selected flags from results
      */
-    MessageFlagsPredicate(const QString &flags);
+    MessageFlagsPredicate(const QString &flags, bool negate);
 
+protected:
     /**
      * @brief Checks whether the message has any of the flags passed
      *        in the constructor.
@@ -38,7 +40,7 @@ public:
      * @return true if the message has at least one of the specified flags,
      *         false otherwise
      */
-    bool appliesTo(const Message &message);
+    bool appliesToImpl(const Message &message) override;
 
 private:
     /// Holds the flags that will be searched for
diff --git a/src/messages/search/MessagePredicate.hpp b/src/messages/search/MessagePredicate.hpp
index 6deb2de52..79806bd62 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/MessagePredicate.hpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/MessagePredicate.hpp
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ namespace chatterino {
  *
  * Message predicates define certain features a message can satisfy.
  * Features are represented by classes derived from this abstract class.
- * A derived class must override `appliesTo` in order to test for the desired
+ * A derived class must override `appliesToImpl` in order to test for the desired
  * feature.
  */
 class MessagePredicate
@@ -19,15 +19,43 @@ class MessagePredicate
 public:
     virtual ~MessagePredicate() = default;
 
+    /**
+     * @brief Checks whether this predicate applies to the passed message
+     *
+     * Calls the derived classes `appliedTo` implementation, and respects the `isNegated_` flag
+     * it's set.
+     *
+     * @param message the message to check for this predicate
+     * @return true if this predicate applies, false otherwise
+     **/
+    bool appliesTo(const Message &message)
+    {
+        auto result = this->appliesToImpl(message);
+        if (this->isNegated_)
+        {
+            return !result;
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
+protected:
+    explicit MessagePredicate(bool negate)
+        : isNegated_(negate)
+    {
+    }
+
     /**
      * @brief Checks whether this predicate applies to the passed message.
      *
-     * Implementations of `appliesTo` should never change the message's content
+     * Implementations of `appliesToImpl` should never change the message's content
      * in order to be compatible with other MessagePredicates.
      *
      * @param message the message to check for this predicate
      * @return true if this predicate applies, false otherwise
      */
-    virtual bool appliesTo(const Message &message) = 0;
+    virtual bool appliesToImpl(const Message &message) = 0;
+
+private:
+    const bool isNegated_ = false;
 };
 }  // namespace chatterino
diff --git a/src/messages/search/RegexPredicate.cpp b/src/messages/search/RegexPredicate.cpp
index b16dcf4d1..04a22f624 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/RegexPredicate.cpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/RegexPredicate.cpp
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@
 
 namespace chatterino {
 
-RegexPredicate::RegexPredicate(const QString &regex)
-    : regex_(regex, QRegularExpression::CaseInsensitiveOption)
+RegexPredicate::RegexPredicate(const QString &regex, bool negate)
+    : MessagePredicate(negate)
+    , regex_(regex, QRegularExpression::CaseInsensitiveOption)
 {
 }
 
-bool RegexPredicate::appliesTo(const Message &message)
+bool RegexPredicate::appliesToImpl(const Message &message)
 {
     if (!regex_.isValid())
     {
@@ -19,4 +20,4 @@ bool RegexPredicate::appliesTo(const Message &message)
     return match.hasMatch();
 }
 
-}  // namespace chatterino
\ No newline at end of file
+}  // namespace chatterino
diff --git a/src/messages/search/RegexPredicate.hpp b/src/messages/search/RegexPredicate.hpp
index fcf5d262e..594b985f0 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/RegexPredicate.hpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/RegexPredicate.hpp
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@ public:
      * The message is being matched case-insensitively.
      *
      * @param regex the regex to match the message against
+     * @param negate when set, excludes messages matching the regex from results
      */
-    RegexPredicate(const QString &regex);
+    RegexPredicate(const QString &regex, bool negate);
 
+protected:
     /**
      * @brief Checks whether the message matches the regex passed in the
      *        constructor
@@ -32,11 +34,11 @@ public:
      * @param message the message to check
      * @return true if the message matches the regex, false otherwise
      */
-    bool appliesTo(const Message &message);
+    bool appliesToImpl(const Message &message) override;
 
 private:
     /// Holds the regular expression to match the message against
     QRegularExpression regex_;
 };
 
-}  // namespace chatterino
\ No newline at end of file
+}  // namespace chatterino
diff --git a/src/messages/search/SubstringPredicate.cpp b/src/messages/search/SubstringPredicate.cpp
index 752ed9338..736cb2cc1 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/SubstringPredicate.cpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/SubstringPredicate.cpp
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@
 namespace chatterino {
 
 SubstringPredicate::SubstringPredicate(const QString &search)
-    : search_(search)
+    : MessagePredicate(false)
+    , search_(search)
 {
 }
 
-bool SubstringPredicate::appliesTo(const Message &message)
+bool SubstringPredicate::appliesToImpl(const Message &message)
 {
     return message.searchText.contains(this->search_, Qt::CaseInsensitive);
 }
diff --git a/src/messages/search/SubstringPredicate.hpp b/src/messages/search/SubstringPredicate.hpp
index 31f43102e..e6b99f11b 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/SubstringPredicate.hpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/SubstringPredicate.hpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ public:
      */
     SubstringPredicate(const QString &search);
 
+protected:
     /**
      * @brief Checks whether the message contains the substring passed in the
      *        constructor.
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ public:
      * @param message the message to check
      * @return true if the message contains the substring, false otherwise
      */
-    bool appliesTo(const Message &message);
+    bool appliesToImpl(const Message &message) override;
 
 private:
     /// Holds the substring to search for in a message's `messageText`
diff --git a/src/messages/search/SubtierPredicate.cpp b/src/messages/search/SubtierPredicate.cpp
index 8c4ce3f13..81db09f28 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/SubtierPredicate.cpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/SubtierPredicate.cpp
@@ -4,19 +4,17 @@
 
 namespace chatterino {
 
-SubtierPredicate::SubtierPredicate(const QStringList &subtiers)
+SubtierPredicate::SubtierPredicate(const QString &subtiers, bool negate)
+    : MessagePredicate(negate)
 {
     // Check if any comma-seperated values were passed and transform those
-    for (const auto &entry : subtiers)
+    for (const auto &subtier : subtiers.split(',', Qt::SkipEmptyParts))
     {
-        for (const auto &subtier : entry.split(',', Qt::SkipEmptyParts))
-        {
-            this->subtiers_ << subtier;
-        }
+        this->subtiers_ << subtier;
     }
 }
 
-bool SubtierPredicate::appliesTo(const Message &message)
+bool SubtierPredicate::appliesToImpl(const Message &message)
 {
     for (const Badge &badge : message.badges)
     {
diff --git a/src/messages/search/SubtierPredicate.hpp b/src/messages/search/SubtierPredicate.hpp
index 87bcfe10d..bb5caba2a 100644
--- a/src/messages/search/SubtierPredicate.hpp
+++ b/src/messages/search/SubtierPredicate.hpp
@@ -16,10 +16,12 @@ public:
     /**
      * @brief Create an SubtierPredicate with a list of subtiers to search for.
      *
-     * @param subtiers a list of subtiers that a message should contain 
+     * @param subtiers one or more comma-separated subtiers that the message should contain
+     * @param negate when set, excludes messages containing selected subtiers from results
      */
-    SubtierPredicate(const QStringList &subtiers);
+    SubtierPredicate(const QString &subtiers, bool negate);
 
+protected:
     /**
      * @brief Checks whether the message contains any of the subtiers passed
      *        in the constructor.
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ public:
      * @return true if the message contains a subtier listed in the specified subtiers,
      *         false otherwise
      */
-    bool appliesTo(const Message &message) override;
+    bool appliesToImpl(const Message &message) override;
 
 private:
     /// Holds the subtiers that will be searched for
diff --git a/src/widgets/helper/SearchPopup.cpp b/src/widgets/helper/SearchPopup.cpp
index 990e6759c..a7524abf4 100644
--- a/src/widgets/helper/SearchPopup.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/helper/SearchPopup.cpp
@@ -302,55 +302,57 @@ std::vector<std::unique_ptr<MessagePredicate>> SearchPopup::parsePredicates(
     // It also ignores whitespaces in values when being surrounded by quotation
     // marks, to enable inputs like this => regex:"kappa 123"
     static QRegularExpression predicateRegex(
-        R"lit((?:(?<name>\w+):(?<value>".+?"|[^\s]+))|[^\s]+?(?=$|\s))lit");
+        R"lit((?<negation>[!\-])?(?:(?<name>\w+):(?<value>".+?"|[^\s]+))|[^\s]+?(?=$|\s))lit");
     static QRegularExpression trimQuotationMarksRegex(R"(^"|"$)");
 
     QRegularExpressionMatchIterator it = predicateRegex.globalMatch(input);
 
     std::vector<std::unique_ptr<MessagePredicate>> predicates;
-    QStringList authors;
-    QStringList channels;
-    QStringList badges;
-    QStringList subtiers;
 
     while (it.hasNext())
     {
         QRegularExpressionMatch match = it.next();
 
         QString name = match.captured("name");
-
+        bool isNegated = !match.captured("negation").isEmpty();
         QString value = match.captured("value");
         value.remove(trimQuotationMarksRegex);
 
         // match predicates
+
         if (name == "from")
         {
-            authors.append(value);
+            predicates.push_back(
+                std::make_unique<AuthorPredicate>(value, isNegated));
         }
         else if (name == "badge")
         {
-            badges.append(value);
+            predicates.push_back(
+                std::make_unique<BadgePredicate>(value, isNegated));
         }
         else if (name == "subtier")
         {
-            subtiers.append(value);
+            predicates.push_back(
+                std::make_unique<SubtierPredicate>(value, isNegated));
         }
         else if (name == "has" && value == "link")
         {
-            predicates.push_back(std::make_unique<LinkPredicate>());
+            predicates.push_back(std::make_unique<LinkPredicate>(isNegated));
         }
         else if (name == "in")
         {
-            channels.append(value);
+            predicates.push_back(
+                std::make_unique<ChannelPredicate>(value, isNegated));
         }
         else if (name == "is")
         {
             predicates.push_back(
-                std::make_unique<MessageFlagsPredicate>(value));
+                std::make_unique<MessageFlagsPredicate>(value, isNegated));
         }
         else if (name == "regex")
         {
-            predicates.push_back(std::make_unique<RegexPredicate>(value));
+            predicates.push_back(
+                std::make_unique<RegexPredicate>(value, isNegated));
         }
         else
         {
@@ -359,26 +361,6 @@ std::vector<std::unique_ptr<MessagePredicate>> SearchPopup::parsePredicates(
         }
     }
 
-    if (!authors.empty())
-    {
-        predicates.push_back(std::make_unique<AuthorPredicate>(authors));
-    }
-
-    if (!channels.empty())
-    {
-        predicates.push_back(std::make_unique<ChannelPredicate>(channels));
-    }
-
-    if (!badges.empty())
-    {
-        predicates.push_back(std::make_unique<BadgePredicate>(badges));
-    }
-
-    if (!subtiers.empty())
-    {
-        predicates.push_back(std::make_unique<SubtierPredicate>(subtiers));
-    }
-
     return predicates;
 }