downside
gb/dˈaʊnsˌaɪd/ us/dˈaʊnsˌaɪd/
B1
English
~ 9800
hátrány, esési kockázat
NOUN
B1
1
hátrány
A2
Usage pattern:
the downside of [something]
The main downside of working from home is that it can feel lonely.
Az otthoni munkavégzés fő hátránya az, hogy magányosnak érezheti magát az ember.
Living in the city has many benefits, but the high rent is a big downside.
A városi életnek sok előnye van, de a magas lakbér nagy hátrány.
A downside of this phone is its short battery life.
One downside to traveling a lot is never seeing your friends.
The downside is that the project will take much longer than we planned.
Learner examples
The downside of this job is the low pay.
Ennek a munkának az alacsony fizetés a hátránya.
This car is cheap, but the downside is that it is very old.
Ez az autó olcsó, de az a hátránya, hogy nagyon régi.
The downside of eating out is that it costs more money.
He likes social media, but he also sees the downside.
There is a downside to every big decision.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"downsides"* when talking about one negative point (e.g. *"The downsides is the price"*). Use the singular form with a singular verb for one main negative point ("The downside is the price"). Also, it is very common to use the fixed phrase "the downside of [something]", not *"the downside in"* or *"the downside for"* in this meaning.
Meaning
disadvantage or negative aspect
Collocations
the downside is
|the downside of
|major downside
|big downside
|potential downside
|on the downside
Synonyms
disadvantage (More general and slightly more formal; used in very similar ways.)
|
drawback (Stresses an inconvenient or limiting feature; slightly more formal than "downside".)
|
negative (More vague; often needs extra words (e.g. "negative point"), while "downside" stands alone.)
Antonyms
upside (Direct opposite; refers to the benefit or positive side of something.)
|
advantage (General opposite, focusing on helpful or beneficial aspects.)
Themes
daily life
|business
|opinions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A bad or negative part of a situation, choice, or thing.
A disadvantage, problem, or negative aspect of a situation, decision, or thing.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
2
Usage pattern:
the downside risk of [an investment]
Investors see limited downside at this price level.
A befektetők szerint ezen az árszinten korlátozott az esési kockázat.
We like this stock because the upside is strong while the downside appears well protected.
Azért kedveljük ezt a részvényt, mert erős a felértékelődési potenciálja, miközben az esési kockázat jól kezelhetőnek tűnik.
Options can be used to cap the downside in volatile markets.
Analysts say the downside risk is greater than the potential reward.
This fund focuses on reducing downside during market crashes.
Learner examples
The downside of this share is small, so many people buy it.
Ennek a részvénynek kicsi az esési kockázata, ezért sokan megveszik.
They use options to protect the downside when the market falls.
Opciókat használnak az esési kockázat fedezésére, amikor a piac esik.
He thinks the downside risk is too high and will not invest.
This product has limited downside and good upside.
The manager wants to limit the downside for his clients.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this technical sense with the general meaning of "disadvantage" and use it in everyday contexts where the financial risk meaning is not intended. In finance and business writing, it often refers specifically to price movement or value, not just any negative aspect.
Meaning
potential financial loss or decline
Collocations
downside risk
|limit the downside
|protect the downside
|downside protection
|significant downside
|minimal downside
Synonyms
downside risk (More explicit; focuses specifically on the risk aspect, not just the size of the possible fall.)
|
downside potential (Emphasizes how much something could fall in the future, not what has already happened.)
Antonyms
upside (In finance, refers to the potential gain or increase in value, the opposite of possible loss.)
|
upside potential (Focuses on how much value could rise, opposite of how much it could fall.)
Themes
business
|finance
|economics
Definition
The possible loss or fall in value of an investment or price.
The amount or extent to which the value of an investment, price, or market could fall, especially considered as a risk.
Grammar
Dictionary form
downside
IPA
GB/dˈaʊnsˌaɪd/
US/dˈaʊnsˌaɪd/
Syllables & stress
down - side (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (down)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: downside
- Plural: downsides
Word family
Forms
downsides
noun
Negative and opposite forms
upside
noun B2
Expressions
downside protection
1/dˈaʊnsˌaɪd pɹətˈɛkʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
measures to reduce losses
Ways to protect an investment so it does not lose too much money if prices go down.
Examples
- This fund offers downside protection during market downturns.
- Investors are willing to pay more for products with strong downside protection.
- The strategy focuses on downside protection rather than maximum growth.
downside risk
1/dˈaʊnsˌaɪd ɹˈɪsk/
fixed phrase
technical
risk of losing value
The chance that an investment or price will go down and you will lose money.
Examples
- Diversification can help reduce downside risk in your portfolio.
- Analysts believe the downside risk is limited at current levels.
- This strategy focuses on controlling downside risk during market crashes.
limit the downside
1/lˈɪmɪt ðə dˈaʊnsˌaɪd/
fixed phrase
technical
cap the possible loss amount
To make sure you cannot lose more than a certain amount of money if prices go down.
Examples
- Options are one way to limit the downside in a falling market.
- This structure lets you share in gains but limits the downside.
- They want to limit the downside while keeping some upside potential.
on the downside
1/ˈɔn ðə dˈaʊnsˌaɪd/
fixed phrase
introducing a contrasting negative point
Used to move from a good point to a bad point about the same thing.
Examples
- The hotel is right by the beach; on the downside, it can be very noisy at night.
- The job is well paid, but on the downside you have to travel a lot.
- On the downside, the software only runs on newer phones.
protect the downside
1/pɹətˈɛkt ðə dˈaʊnsˌaɪd/
fixed phrase
technical
limit potential financial losses
To use a plan or tools so that, if prices go down, you do not lose too much money.
Examples
- We use stop-loss orders to protect the downside in volatile markets.
- Investors are looking for ways to protect the downside while staying invested.
- This insurance product is designed to protect the downside for retirees.
the downside is (that)
1/ðə dˈaʊnsˌaɪd ˈɪz ðˈæt/
fixed phrase
used to state a negative aspect
Used to introduce the bad or negative part of a situation you are talking about.
Examples
- The downside is that the trains stop running after midnight.
- You can work from anywhere; the downside is that you are always online.
- The downside is that tickets sell out very quickly.