upside

upside — noun

1. the positive side of an otherwise difficult or disappointing situation

1.nounB2
Definition

the positive side of an otherwise difficult or disappointing situation

Example

The upside of working Sunday is that Beatriz can take Monday off instead.

the upside of [gerund] + is that [clause]

Tariq sees the upside of the new plan even though others are doubtful.

Common collocations
  • the upside (of)
  • see the upside
  • focus on the upside
  • look on the upside
  • every ___ has an upside
  • major / main / biggest upside
  • potential upside
  • the upside and (the) downside
Synonyms
  • benefit

    more general term; can refer to any helpful effect, not tied to a negative situation

  • advantage

    implies a superior position or edge over alternatives, whereas 'upside' focuses on the positive within a difficult context

  • silver lining

    idiomatic set phrase specifically for hidden good in bad events; more emotive than 'upside'

  • plus

    informal, often used in everyday speech; shorter and less formal than 'upside'

Antonyms
  • downside

    the direct opposite; the negative aspect of a situation

  • disadvantage

    broader term for an unfavourable condition, not specific to balancing positive and negative

Grammar Patterns

the upside of [noun/gerund]

[noun] has an upside

Usage Note

Commonly paired with 'downside' to compare good and bad points, as in 'We weighed the upside and the downside of moving abroad.'

Common Mistakes

The upside to fail is experience.
The upside of failing is experience.
Use a gerund (-ing form) or a noun, not the infinitive, after 'the upside of'.
This has many upsides but also downsides.
This has upsides but also downsides.
While 'upsides' as a plural exists, it is less common; the singular 'upside' is preferred even when listing multiple points.

upside — preposition

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to positive outcomes, but they differ in scope and context. 'Upside' is the most situational: it always implies that the situation as a whole is mixed or negative, and you are deliberately focusing on the good part. 'Benefit' is broader — it can describe any helpful or desirable result, whether or not the context is negative ('The new park brought many benefits to the neighbourhood'). 'Advantage' carries a sense of superiority or leverage over others ('Her language skills gave her an advantage in the interview'). 'Silver lining' is an idiom from the proverb 'Every cloud has a silver lining'; it is more poetic and emotional than 'upside'. You would use 'silver lining' in personal or reflective contexts ('The silver lining was that we grew closer as a family'), whereas 'upside' suits practical, analytical, or business discussions ('The main upside of the merger is access to new markets').

upside ↗benefit ↗advantage ↗silver lining

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the upside and (the) downside
  • look on the upside

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The noun 'upside' is a compound of the Old English prefixes 'up' (upward) and 'side' (side, flank). It first appeared around the 14th century with the literal meaning 'the upper side or surface of something'. By the early 20th century, it developed a figurative sense in business and finance ('upside potential' = the chance for profit), which broadened into the general meaning of 'a positive aspect of a situation' during the mid-1900s. The prepositional use ('upside the wall') is a 20th-century American innovation, likely a contraction of 'upon the side of'.