shortcoming

shortcoming — noun

1. A quality or feature of a person, plan, product, or system that does not meet th

1.nounC1
Definition

A quality or feature of a person, plan, product, or system that does not meet the expected standard or is not as good as it should be.

Example

The new software had several shortcomings that annoyed users from the first day.

common pattern: have + shortcomings

One major shortcoming of the plan was that it did not address material costs.

shortcoming + of + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • major/serious/significant shortcomings
  • technical shortcomings
  • acknowledge / point out / identify / overcome shortcomings
  • shortcomings in the design / in the plan / in the proposal
  • despite its shortcomings
Synonyms
  • flaw

    Often used for physical imperfections or design problems; more concrete than shortcoming, which is broader.

  • weakness

    Focuses on what is missing or lacking in ability, rather than a specific fault that is present.

  • defect

    Implies a more serious or objective fault, especially in manufactured goods or biological conditions.

  • drawback

    Refers to a disadvantage or negative aspect of a situation or choice, rather than a fault in a person or system.

Antonyms
  • strength

    The natural opposite in evaluations — a quality that makes someone or something effective.

  • merit

    A positive quality that deserves recognition or praise, often paired with shortcoming in formal assessments.

Grammar Patterns

shortcoming + in/of + noun phrase

have/acknowledge/point out + shortcomings

Usage Note

Shortcoming is common in formal or evaluative contexts such as performance reviews, product assessments, or critical analysis. The plural form (shortcomings) appears more often than the singular.

Common Mistakes

This product has a big shortcoming that it is expensive.
This product has a major shortcoming: it is too expensive.
'big' is less natural than 'major' or 'serious' with shortcoming; use a colon or restructure the sentence after stating the shortcoming.
He has many shortcomings but also many strong points.
He has many shortcomings but also many strengths.
'strong points' is unusual in formal English; 'strengths' is the standard opposite in this phrase.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words refer to something wrong or unsatisfactory, but they differ in scope and connotation. Shortcoming is the broadest — it covers faults in character, plans, products, or systems, and often appears in formal evaluation contexts. Flaw is more concrete: a diamond has a flaw; a design has a flaw. Weakness highlights a lack where there should be strength, especially in personal ability or organisational capacity — for example, 'a weakness in grammar' suggests the person is simply not good at it. Defect implies a more serious, objective problem, often in manufacturing or biology ('a birth defect', 'a structural defect'). Drawback shifts the perspective from a fault to a disadvantage: it is not necessarily wrong with the thing itself, but makes it a less attractive choice — for instance, 'the only drawback of the apartment is the noise.' When writing a performance review, shortcoming and strength form the most natural pair; in product testing, flaw and defect are better fits.

shortcoming ↗flaw ↗weakness ↗defect ↗drawback ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • despite its shortcomings
  • in spite of its shortcomings
  • make up for shortcomings

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Shortcoming is formed by combining the adjective 'short' (meaning insufficient or lacking) and the noun 'coming' (in the sense of reaching or achieving). The compound appeared in English in the late 1600s, carrying the idea of falling short of a required standard or expected amount. Its use later broadened from strictly measurable quantities to include qualities of character, plans, and systems.