drawback

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UK/ˈdɹɔːˌbæk/US/ˈdɹɔˌbæk/US, sometimes[ˈd͡ʒɹɔˌbæk]US[ˈd͡ʒɹɔɹˌbæk]

noun

A disadvantage; something that detracts or takes away.

“Poor fuel economy is a common drawback among larger vehicles.”

Less commonScrabble 20Word of the Day · Nov 9, 2025

Meanings

noundrawback (plural drawbacks)

plural drawbacks

  1. A disadvantage; something that detracts or takes away.

    Poor fuel economy is a common drawback among larger vehicles.

    1 more example

    there was no one real drawback to her flutter of excitement and happy anticipation

    1820, Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, volume 121, page 526

    Synonyms: encumbrance, hindrance, nuisance, malefit · Antonyms: benefit, advantage, boon

  2. A partial refund of an import fee, as when goods are re-exported from the country that collected the fee.

    East-India goods, not specifically and particularly rated, are to be liable to duties and drawbacks on the value, to be taken by the gross price at the company's public sales.

    1796, David Steel, New and Complete Tables of the Net Duties payable, and drawbacks allowed, on goods, wares, and merchandises..., page 5
  3. The inhalation of a lungful of smoke from a cigarette, viewed as a skill of the practised smoker.

    ‘I wanta learn to do the drawback better than Swiftie.’

    1982, Paul Radley, My Blue-Checker Corker and Me, Sydney: Fontana/Collins, page 123

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA disadvantage; something that detracts or takes away.

Origin

Translations

Arabic عائِق
  • عائِق (ʕāʔiq)a disadvantage
Bulgarian пре́чка, затрудне́ние
  • пре́чка (préčka)a disadvantage
  • затрудне́ние (zatrudnénie)a disadvantage
Catalan inconvenient, desavantatge
  • inconvenienta disadvantage
  • desavantatgea disadvantage
Chinese Mandarin 缺點 /缺点
  • 缺點 /缺点 (quēdiǎn)a disadvantage
Czech nevýhoda, zápor
  • nevýhodaa disadvantage
  • zápora disadvantage
Danish ulempe, skyggeside
  • ulempea disadvantage
  • skyggesidea disadvantage
  • toldgodtgørelsea partial refund
Finnish haitta, haittapuoli
  • haittaa disadvantage
  • haittapuolia disadvantage
  • varjopuolia disadvantage
  • huono puolia disadvantage
  • palautusa partial refund
French inconvénient, désavantage
  • inconvénienta disadvantage
  • désavantagea disadvantage
  • drawbacka partial refund
German Nachteil, Minuspunkt
  • Nachteila disadvantage
  • Minuspunkta disadvantage
  • Schattenseitea disadvantage
  • Hakena disadvantage
  • Zollrückvergütunga partial refund
Hungarian hátrány, hátulütő
  • hátránya disadvantage
  • hátulütőa disadvantage
Italian svantaggio
  • svantaggioa disadvantage
Japanese 欠点
  • 欠点 (ketten)a disadvantage
Korean 결점
  • 결점 (gyeoljeom)a disadvantage
Māori taumahatanga
  • taumahatangaa disadvantage
Norwegian Bokmål ulempe
  • ulempea disadvantage
Polish wada
  • wadaa disadvantage
Portuguese desvantagem
  • desvantagema disadvantage
Romanian dezavantaj
  • dezavantaja disadvantage
Russian недоста́ток, изъя́н
  • недоста́ток (nedostátok)a disadvantage
  • изъя́н (izʺján)a disadvantage
Spanish desventaja, pega
  • desventajaa disadvantage
  • pegaa disadvantage
  • inconvenientea disadvantage
  • reintegroa partial refund
  • drawback (dróbak)a partial refund
  • reembolso parciala partial refund
Swedish baksida, nackdel
  • baksidaa disadvantage
  • nackdela disadvantage
Ukrainian недо́лік, перешко́да
  • недо́лік (nedólik)a disadvantage
  • перешко́да (pereškóda)a disadvantage

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

drawback. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drawback

MLA

“drawback.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drawback. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “drawback,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drawback.

Source: drawback on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.