count against

British  

verb

1. (intr, preposition) to have influence to the disadvantage of

   your bad timekeeping will count against you

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count against Idioms  

1. Be disadvantageous to, as in His earnings this year will count against his Social Security benefits. This idiom uses count in the sense of “make a reckoning,” in this case negative. [Early 1900s]

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Example Sentences

Sometimes the extra leverage doesn’t count against the funds’ legal limits, because the debt resides off their balance sheets.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Imports - which count against growth - continued to decline during the period.

From BBC • Jan. 18, 2026

His partner for that success, Andrew Novak, is unlikely to have done enough to warrant selection though and Griffin's relative inexperience at this level may count against him.

From BBC • Aug. 27, 2025

In a 3-and-1 count against d’Arnaud, he threw a center-cut sinker that d’Arnaud crushed to left.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2025

She was pure of heart and deed; she only kicked shins in self- defense, so that couldn't count against her.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin