as in disadvantage
a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success
the downside of living in the country is, of course, the long commute to work
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Recent Examples of downside
While the concerns are understandable, there could be a downside to a sudden surge of regulation as well.
—
David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Pros and Cons of Buying Loose Diamonds There are lots of benefits to buying loose diamonds, as well as some downsides.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 26 Mar. 2026
The downside is that the second loan would increase the overall cost of homeownership since the buyer would also have to service that second loan.
—Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
One big potential downside of the Air design is that all that mesh seems likely to make for some chilly nights outside the heart of summer.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downside
David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Pros and Cons of Buying Loose Diamonds There are lots of benefits to buying loose diamonds, as well as some downsides.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 26 Mar. 2026
The downside is that the second loan would increase the overall cost of homeownership since the buyer would also have to service that second loan.
—Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
One big potential downside of the Air design is that all that mesh seems likely to make for some chilly nights outside the heart of summer.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downside
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downside
Noun
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For decades, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has offered college scholarships to Black students who faced disadvantages from attending underfunded schools in majority-Black districts.—
Julian Mark,
Washington Post,
2 Apr. 2026
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Any disadvantage there may be in waiting a week or 10 days to get started on the portal is offset, probably outweighed, by the attention and excitement being built for BC basketball by their incoming coach’s presence on national TV, associated with a Final Four team.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Moscow relies heavily on oil revenue to finance its war on Ukraine, and sanctions were a growing handicap.—
Rebecca Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
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Moscow relies heavily on oil revenue to finance its invasion and sanctions were a growing handicap.—
SYLVIE CORBET,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Pesticides have many drawbacks and must be used extremely judiciously and in very limited situations, such as when the health of the plant is in jeopardy.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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Their study examines the benefits and drawbacks of social and digital media use across the lifespan.—
Crista Marchesseault,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downside.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downside. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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