drawback

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drawback

  • /ˈdɹɔːˌbæk/ UK
  • /ˈdɹɔˌbæk/ US
  • [ˈd͡ʒɹɔˌbæk] US, sometimes
  • [ˈd͡ʒɹɔɹˌbæk] US
  • /ˈdɹɑˌbæk/ cot caught merger
  • /ˈdɹoːˌbæk/ Australia
  • /ˈdɹoˌbæk/ Philippines

Where it comes from

From draw + back. Compare setback.

noun drawbacks

  1. A disadvantage; something that detracts or takes away. Poor fuel economy is a common drawback among larger vehicles.

    Similar: encumbrance, hindrance, nuisance, malefit · Opposite: 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.
  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.’

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: disadvantage, downside, fault, defect, failure, shortcoming, inconvenience, deficiency, failing, objection, detriment, weakness, problem, trouble, difficulty, handicap

Translations

Every language

noun a disadvantage

Españoldesventaja, pega, inconveniente
한국어결점 gyeoljeom
日本語欠点 ketten
中文缺點 /缺点 quēdiǎn
Portuguêsdesvantagem
Françaisinconvénient, désavantage
DeutschNachteil, Minuspunkt, Schattenseite, Haken
Italianosvantaggio
Românădezavantaj
Русскийнедоста́ток nedostátok, изъя́н izʺján
العربيةعائِق ʕāʔiq

noun a partial refund

Españolreintegro, drawback (dróbak), reembolso parcial
Françaisdrawback
DeutschZollrückvergütung

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MLA

"drawback." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/drawback. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

drawback. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/drawback

Chicago

"drawback." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/drawback.

BibTeX
@misc{drawback_2026,
  title = {drawback},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/drawback},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}