drawback

American  

[draw-bak] / ˈdrɔˌbæk /

noun

• drawbacks
  plural

1. a hindrance or disadvantage; an undesirable or objectionable feature.

2. Commerce. an amount paid back from a charge made.

3. Government. a refund of tariff or other tax, as when imported goods are reexported.

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drawback British  

/ ˈdrɔːˌbæk /

noun

1. a disadvantage or hindrance

2. a refund of customs or excise duty paid on goods that are being exported or used in the production of manufactured exports

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verb

1. to retreat; move backwards

2. to turn aside from an undertaking

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• drawbacks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of drawback

First recorded in 1610–20; noun use of verb phrase draw back

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drawback drawbacks

For many people, avoiding pain, drilling, or more invasive procedures may outweigh that drawback.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026

The only drawback with an electric car is you need to charge it at home, or fast-charge it when you’re out on the road.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

This means Ndukwe could potentially still feature for Liverpool this season, after the turn of the year if he was recalled, but that is a potential drawback for clubs interested in a loan.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

There's only one drawback: "long separations from the family during assignments," he says from Kosovo, where he is helping install a wind farm.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

And there is a drawback even to this.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

I’d be interested in hearing from anyone who has considered or used a similar strategy, as well as from those who see potential drawbacks I should discuss with my adviser before making a decision.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

Still, he says he believes “the drawbacks are few and minor and no longer justify the legal and policy roadblocks.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

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 phenomenon is known as overdiagnosis, and it has long been considered one of the potential drawbacks of screening.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

From our modern perspective, all these questions at first seem silly, because the drawbacks of being a hunter-gatherer appear so obvious.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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Related Words

• defect
• deficiency
• difficulty
• disadvantage
• failing
• fault
• flaw
• hindrance
• hitch
• impediment
• imperfection
• inconvenience
• obstacle
• shortcoming
• snag
• stumbling block
• weakness

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