drawback

1 of 2

noun

draw·​back ˈdrȯ-ˌbak 

1

: a refund of duties especially on an imported product subsequently exported or used to produce a product for export

2

: an objectionable feature : disadvantage

The plan's only drawback is its cost.

draw back

2 of 2

verb

drȯ-ˈbak 

drew back; drawn back; drawing back; draws back

intransitive verb

: to avoid an issue or commitment

Synonyms

Noun

• debit
• disadvantage
• disbenefit
• downside
• handicap
• incommodity
• liability
• minus
• negative
• strike

Examples of drawback in a Sentence

Noun

The trip sounds great, but cost is a major drawback.

this plan has only one drawback: it's unworkable

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Therefore, perhaps the place for the long barrier at professional level is actually in football, despite Stones showing its drawbacks recently. —Michael Cox, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025

The only drawback is a common one with Chromebooks, the lack of much onboard storage, but they're made for cloud work anyways and this offer can snag you three free months of Google One AI Premium which includes 2TB of Google Drive room. —K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 17 Feb. 2025

Verb

However viewers navigated the show, they were drawn back to a room of genitals and buttocks silk-screened in contrasting colors. —Richard Meyer, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025

Cramer said investors are drawn back to tech stocks as higher rates complicate the growth narratives for economically sensitive corners of the market. —Julie Coleman, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1572, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

drawback

noun

draw·​back ˈdrȯ-ˌbak 

: an undesirable feature : disadvantage entry 1