as in disadvantages
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 downsides
Monk Fruit Does Not Raise Blood Sugar There are many downsides to eating too much sugar.
—
Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 10 Feb. 2026
Precautions There are some downsides to watering your houseplants with rice water.
—Lauren David, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, one of the few downsides of hotel hopping is having to repack and unpack your bags between stays, as well as the time lapse during the day between check-out and check-in.
—Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
But that lack of sensation also has its downsides, as this kinetic action comedy demonstrates.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
With that said, there are an equal number of downsides to a weaker dollar.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
In most cases, any downsides of lymphatic face brush usage will come courtesy of user error.
—Emily Orofino, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2026
Opening windows continuously provides better ventilation than brief, 5- to 10-minute periods, but with potential downsides for thermal comfort and energy use.
—William Bahnfleth, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Downsides of Air Traffic Controller Parenting There aren’t many downsides to air traffic controller parenting when it’s done well.
—Dorian Johnson, Parents, 1 Feb. 2026
Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 10 Feb. 2026
Precautions There are some downsides to watering your houseplants with rice water.
—Lauren David, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, one of the few downsides of hotel hopping is having to repack and unpack your bags between stays, as well as the time lapse during the day between check-out and check-in.
—Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
But that lack of sensation also has its downsides, as this kinetic action comedy demonstrates.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
With that said, there are an equal number of downsides to a weaker dollar.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
In most cases, any downsides of lymphatic face brush usage will come courtesy of user error.
—Emily Orofino, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2026
Opening windows continuously provides better ventilation than brief, 5- to 10-minute periods, but with potential downsides for thermal comfort and energy use.
—William Bahnfleth, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Downsides of Air Traffic Controller Parenting There aren’t many downsides to air traffic controller parenting when it’s done well.
—Dorian Johnson, Parents, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downsides
disadvantages
Noun
-
And yet, such disadvantages might have been overcome, especially in urban settings, had there been the vision and will among America’s industrialists.—
Bill Gourgey,
Popular Science,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Bedpan cons That being said, there are a few disadvantages to using bedpans.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downsides.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downsides. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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