drawback
gb/dɹˈɔbˌæk/ us/dɹˈɔbˌæk/
B1
English
~ 8800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
disadvantage or negative aspect
A bad part of something that makes it less good or less useful.
Usage pattern:
the drawback of [something] is that [clause]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'drawback' with 'setback'. A 'drawback' is a negative feature that exists from the start and is part of something. A 'setback' is a problem that happens later and slows progress. For example: 'The drawback of this job is the low pay' (correct) vs. 'We had a setback when the machine broke' (not 'drawback'). Also, 'drawback' is almost always singular when talking about one negative feature and is usually used with 'a' or 'the' (e.g., 'a drawback', 'the main drawback').
Synonyms
disadvantage (More general and slightly more formal; very close in meaning and often interchangeable.)
|
downside (More informal; often used in everyday speech for the negative part of something that also has positives.)
|
weakness (Suggests a point where something is not strong or effective, not always as clearly negative as 'drawback'.)
Antonyms
advantage (Refers to a positive feature that makes something better or more desirable, the opposite of a drawback.)
|
benefit (Focuses on something helpful or good that you get from something, contrasting with a negative point.)
Collocations
main drawback
|major drawback
|big drawback
|serious drawback
|potential drawback
|the only drawback
Themes
daily life
|work
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The main drawback of this plan is the high cost.
- Living in the city has many advantages, but the biggest drawback is the noise.
- One drawback of working from home is that it can feel lonely.
- The only drawback to this camera is its short battery life.
- A serious drawback of the new system is that it is hard to use for older customers.
Learner examples
- The only drawback of this phone is the small screen.
- A big drawback of my job is the long travel time.
- This flat is cheap, but the drawback is the busy road outside.
- The new app is fast, but one drawback is that it uses a lot of data.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
2
refund of customs duties
Money that the government pays back to a company after it first paid tax on goods coming into a country.
Usage pattern:
[someone] claims a drawback on [goods]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is the same as the everyday sense of 'disadvantage'. In trade and tax documents, 'drawback' often means a refund of duties, which is a positive payment, not something negative.
Synonyms
rebate (A broader financial term for money paid back after payment; 'drawback' is more specific to customs and import duties.)
|
refund (General term for money returned; does not itself imply the customs or tax context that 'drawback' usually has.)
Antonyms
surcharge (An additional charge added to a basic price or tax, the opposite of getting money back.)
Collocations
duty drawback
|tax drawback
|customs drawback
|claim a drawback
|drawback scheme
Themes
business
|law
|trade
|finance
Examples
- The exporter applied for a duty drawback on the imported components used in the finished products.
- Under the new scheme, companies can claim a tax drawback when they re-export unused goods.
- Customs authorities rejected the drawback request because the paperwork was incomplete.
Learner examples
- The company asked the government for a duty drawback.
- They got a tax drawback after they sent the goods to another country.
- The form for the drawback was long and difficult.
Noun
literary
C2
action
3
act of moving back suddenly
A quick move back with your body or part of your body, usually because you are afraid or surprised.
Common mistake:
This sense is rare and mostly literary. Learners should normally use verbs like 'step back', 'move back', or 'recoil' instead of this noun form.
Synonyms
recoil (Often suggests a sharp, sudden movement back, especially from fear or disgust; more common than this sense of 'drawback'.)
Antonyms
lunge (A sudden movement forward, the opposite direction from a backward movement.)
Themes
emotions
|movement
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- With a sudden drawback, she avoided the falling branch.
- His slight drawback was enough to show his fear.
- The dog made a quick drawback as the firework went off.
Learner examples
- She made a quick drawback when the glass broke.
- The child did a small drawback because he was scared.
- He did a drawback when the dog jumped at him.
Grammar
Dictionary form
drawback
IPA
GB/dɹˈɔbˌæk/
US/dɹˈɔbˌæk/
Syllables & stress
draw - back (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (draw)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: drawback
- Plural: drawback, drawbacks
Word family
Forms
drawbacks
noun
Related words
disadvantage
noun B1
downside
noun B1
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.