drawback

drawback — noun

1. a feature of something that makes it less good or less useful than it could othe

1.nounB2
Definition

a feature of something that makes it less good or less useful than it could otherwise be, creating a problem or limitation that you must accept.

Example

Many families see high rent as the main drawback of living in a big city.

drawback of + living/gerund

One obvious drawback of this plan is that it requires a large investment of time.

drawback of + that-clause

Common collocations
  • main drawback
  • biggest drawback
  • only drawback
  • serious drawback
  • potential drawback
  • drawback of something
  • drawback to doing something
Synonyms
  • disadvantage

    more general and neutral; the standard alternative to drawback in formal and informal contexts

  • downside

    more informal, often used in everyday conversation; implies a negative side to an otherwise positive situation

  • handicap

    stronger and more limiting; suggests a serious obstacle that prevents success or progress

Antonyms
  • advantage

    a feature that makes something better or more useful

  • benefit

    focuses on a positive gain or helpful result

Grammar Patterns

drawback of + noun phrase/gerund

drawback to + noun phrase/gerund

the/main/only/biggest + drawback

Usage Note

Drawback is a countable noun and is typically followed by the preposition 'of' (drawback of something) or 'to' (drawback to doing something). The pattern 'drawback + that-clause' (as in example 2) is also common in everyday English.

Common Mistakes

The drawback to live in a big city is the noise.
The drawback to living in a big city is the noise.
after 'drawback to', use the gerund (-ing form), not the infinitive.
There are many drawback of this system.
There are many drawbacks of this system.
drawback is a countable noun and needs a plural -s when referring to more than one.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Drawback, disadvantage, downside, and handicap all describe negative aspects of something, but they differ in strength and context. Drawback is the mildest and most neutral — it names a feature that makes something less attractive without preventing its use (the high cost is a drawback of the plan). Disadvantage is broader and more formal, covering any condition that puts someone or something in an unfavourable position (growing up without books is a disadvantage). Downside is informal and conversational, often used when weighing pros and cons (the downside of working from home is loneliness). Handicap is the strongest, implying a serious limitation that makes progress difficult (a lack of qualifications is a handicap in this field). Use drawback when the situation is still workable but imperfect; use handicap only when the obstacle is genuinely severe.

disadvantage ↗downside ↗handicap

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the only drawback
  • the main drawback
  • the biggest drawback
  • a serious drawback

Prepositions

Etymology

English

Drawback was formed in the 1500s from the verb phrase 'draw back', meaning to pull something away or retreat. It was first used in customs and trade to describe a refund of import duties — money that was 'drawn back' when goods were re-exported. By the late 1800s the meaning had shifted to a more general sense of any negative feature that 'pulls back' or reduces the value of something.