downside

noun

down·​side ˈdau̇n-ˌsīd How to pronounce downside (audio)
1
: a downward trend (as of prices)
2
: a negative aspect
the downside of fame

Examples of downside in a Sentence

He could find no downside to the car. the downside of living in the country is, of course, the long commute to work
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After a heart attack, scar tissue often forms to allow the organ to keep its shape, but the downside is that this tissue doesn’t beat. Michael Irving, New Atlas, 18 Jan. 2025 The only downside was the awkward touch-screen control scheme. Jordan Minor, PCMAG, 18 Jan. 2025 Yet allowing a Chinese company — and, by extension, the Chinese government — to control a U.S. communication platform and vast amounts of Americans’ personal data also has major downsides. David Leonhardt, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025 The downsides of the failure to invest in human capital are severe; the World Bank has estimated that up to 30 percent of differences among countries in per capita GDP are attributable to differing human capital levels. Saadia Zahidi, Foreign Affairs, 17 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for downside 

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of downside was in 1905

Dictionary Entries Near downside

Cite this Entry

“Downside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downside. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

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