downside

noun

down·​side ˈdau̇n-ˌsīd 

1

: a downward trend (as of prices)

2

: a negative aspect

the downside of fame

Synonyms of downside

• disadvantage
• handicap
• drawback

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

There are many potential downsides to relying too much on AI personas; see my cautions at the link here. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026

Any downsides have to be balanced against the very real risks of avoiding medication, psychiatrists stress. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026

Valuation risks and slowing fundamentals could drive significant downside for shares of Palantir , according to RBC Capital Markets. —Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026

Local businesses cope with construction Located just off of Westport Road, New Peking Chinese restaurant has experienced downsides of both the flooding and the construction that aims to fix it. —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing downside

• on the downside

Rhymes for downside

• abide
• allied
• applied
• aside
• astride
• azide
• backside
• bankside
• bastide
• bayside
• bedside
• belied