drawback
Americannoun
-
drawbacks
plural
-
a hindrance or disadvantage; an undesirable or objectionable feature.
-
Commerce. an amount paid back from a charge made.
-
Government. a refund of tariff or other tax, as when imported goods are reexported.
noun
-
a disadvantage or hindrance
-
a refund of customs or excise duty paid on goods that are being exported or used in the production of manufactured exports
verb
-
to retreat; move backwards
-
to turn aside from an undertaking
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of drawback
First recorded in 1610–20; noun use of verb phrase draw back
Explanation
A drawback is a disadvantage or slight problem. Some drawbacks to adopting a puppy can include lost sleep, having your sneakers gnawed on, and spending too much money at the vet. When something is mainly positive but not perfect, those imperfections are drawbacks. You might love your new job working at the library on weekends, despite the drawback of needing to get up early on Saturday mornings. And even though the drawbacks to getting that adorable puppy are very real, you'll probably be glad you did it. This noun, which was coined in the 18th century, comes from the sense of drawing (or holding) back success.
Vocabulary lists containing drawback
Week 5: New Technology
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"A Place to Call Home" by Scott Bittle and Jonathan Rochkind
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Quiet Power
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The slow action of bistrifluron may therefore be useful rather than simply a drawback.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
What struck me during my conversation with Killeen was when she shared a major drawback of the wild, wild west of GLP-1s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The price is a major drawback, but his combination of reliability, captaincy potential and fixture quality makes him an excellent pick.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The most obvious drawback is that you’ll have less money to fall back on.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
But it had one terrible drawback, this sweet-shop.
From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl
But its enduring feature is that it almost always comes well after the drawbacks and public costs of a new technology have manifested themselves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
This is needed, because “American Hagwon” has the drawbacks of the traditional novel along with its foursquare virtues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
While both she and Brianna have no regrets, they do admit to some drawbacks to their new lives.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Existing antivenoms save lives, but they also have major drawbacks.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
Despite these drawbacks, Welles jumped at the chance to reach millions of people with his own dramatic productions.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
