downside

noun

down·​side ˈdau̇n-ˌsīd How to pronounce downside (audio)
Synonyms of downsidenext
1
: a downward trend (as of prices)
2
: a negative aspect
the downside of fame

Examples of downside in a Sentence

He could find no downside to the car. the downside of living in the country is, of course, the long commute to work
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When a technology’s upsides are easy to claim and its downsides easy to deny, who pays for its mistakes? Eric Sullivan, Scientific American, 17 Feb. 2026 Notable patterns technicians will call out that use two SMAs are the golden cross (bullish and can indicate more upside) and the death cross (bearish and can indicate more downside). Zev Fima, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026 Garlic is known to have many health benefits, but the downside has always been its powerful odor that leads to bad breath. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026 England and Ireland face financial pressure and political sensitivity around public subsidy, and France 2023 demonstrated the downside clearly. Michael Fealey, Sportico.com, 14 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for downside

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of downside was in 1905

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Cite this Entry

“Downside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downside. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.

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