diff --git a/jiracli/cli.py b/jiracli/cli.py
index 12b6d79..aa9eb70 100644
--- a/jiracli/cli.py
+++ b/jiracli/cli.py
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ def version(client):
 @main.command()
 @click.option('--project', help='Project to filter for. Default: take from config [filters]/default_project')
 @click.option('--component', 'components', multiple=True, help='Filter for issues with *any* of the given components')
-@click.option('--status', multiple=True, help='Filter for issues with *any* of the given statuses')
+@click.option('--status', multiple=True, help='Filter for issues with *any* of the given statuses. '
+              '! at the beginning means NOT.')
 @click.option('--label', 'labels', multiple=True, help='Filter for issues with all the given labels')
 @click.option('--text', 'texts', multiple=True, help='Filter for issues containing all the given strings')
 @click.option('--flagged/--not-flagged', is_flag=True, default=None, help='Filter issues being flagged or not flagged')
@@ -124,9 +125,14 @@ def issues(config, client, project, components, status, labels, texts, flagged,
             filters.append(components_jql)
 
         if status:
-            status_list = ', '.join([f'"{s}"' for s in status])
-            status_jql = f"status IN ({status_list})"
-            filters.append(status_jql)
+            status_list = ', '.join([f'"{s}"' for s in status if not s.startswith('!')])
+            if status_list:
+                status_jql = f"status IN ({status_list})"
+                filters.append(status_jql)
+            status_list = ', '.join([f'"{s[1:]}"' for s in status if s.startswith('!')])
+            if status_list:
+                status_jql = f"status NOT IN ({status_list})"
+                filters.append(status_jql)
 
         if labels:
             labels_jql = ' AND '.join([f'labels = "{label}"' for label in labels])