downside
Americannoun
-
the lower side or part.
-
a downward trend, especially in stock prices.
-
a discouraging or negative aspect.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of downside
Explanation
Something's drawback or disadvantage is its downside. The only downside you can see to getting a puppy is having to leave it when you go to school — although your parents may see more downsides than that. When the word downside was coined in the 1680s, it meant "underside" or "underneath." It wasn't until the late 20th century that this word came to mean "negative aspect of something otherwise seen as good." Today, the downside of a puppy isn't its fuzzy belly — it's the hours of training, late-night walks, money spent at the vet, and chewed-up shoes.
Vocabulary lists containing downside
Liar, Liar
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Free Period
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Clearly, less than 24 hours on from his announcement, the downside for him is triggering what some will see as a pointless by-election that his main opponents are avoiding.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
But all the shifts in time and point of view — and the lingering over details, both telling and not — have a downside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
But the war in Iran has added downside risks to growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
The downside, of course, is that you can’t simply tap into those funds whenever you want; you must apply for benefits before you can receive them.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 3, 2026
I think the mountain is downside up and the lake is in the sky.
From "The Unfinished Angel" by Sharon Creech
The air conditioning units do have some downsides.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
Ueda said Wednesday that upside risks to prices might emerge sooner than economic downsides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
But proceed with caution: Insurance salespeople may praise this strategy as a “Roth on steroids,” but there are downsides.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
"Despite growing awareness of the downsides of habitual and excessive device use, people struggle to successfully manage their time online," said Drage, a senior research fellow at the University of Cambridge.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
The downsides of a growth spurt means that my mom insists on buying clothes that are two sizes too big for me when she’s at the consignment store.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
