disadvantage

noun

ˌdis-əd-ˈvan-tij How to pronounce disadvantage (audio)
Definition of disadvantagenext
1
as in handicap
a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success their lack of height was a disadvantage on the basketball court

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in expense
the negative result caused by something that creates difficulty for achieving success intense pretrial publicity worked to our disadvantage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of disadvantage However, opponents argue individuals rely on public health insurance for many reasons, and tying a company’s costs to those workers could put them at a disadvantage. — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Indiana is 10-4 ATS with a rest edge this season, and the Liberty are 2-10 ATS with a rest disadvantage. — Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 In his essay, Zuckerberg wrote that American AI developers face disadvantages against Chinese rivals, including in training data, and argued that policy should reduce those barriers. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 Will universities that decline to participate face disadvantages? — Marybeth Gasman, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disadvantage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disadvantage
  1. handicap
  2. expense
  3. drawback
  4. despite
  5. liability
  6. loss
Noun
  • As for the 15 handicap, their biggest fear would be losing both golf balls and having to embarrassingly ask their playing partner for a spare.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Even using that handicap, however, this El Niño is on track to be unprecedented.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of handicap
Noun
  • The Arkansas Medicaid program pays the premium and provides additional payments that reduce or eliminate enrollees' out-of-pocket expenses for medical care.
    — Nathan Ansell, Arkansas Online, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Yes, the Bengals landed right guard Dalton Risner near the end of last August, but finding a similar player this year would be unlikely, and Risner’s path to becoming a starter in 2025 came at the expense of early-season issues.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of expense
Noun
  • Though egg freezing is on the rise, some drawbacks include varying pregnancy success rates, financial barriers and minor procedural risks, according to UCLA Health.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
  • One glaring drawback is that BMI doesn’t measure what proportion of a person’s weight is fat versus muscle, bone, or other tissues.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of drawback
Noun
  • Political observers think Talarico could surge to the fore in the primary despite, or perhaps because of, his outsider status.
    — Julia Mueller, The Hill, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Despite the fact that the age of female winners has been steadily increasing in the last despite, the average female Oscar winner is 39 years old, according to a Sky News 2023 report—almost a decade younger than the average male winner at 47.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2023
Definition of despite
Noun
  • The watchdog also criticized internal affairs investigators’ reliance on deputies’ logs and detectives’ case files, which were oriented at establishing criminal liability, not examining institutional flaws.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Property owners will claim the hurricane absolves them of liability.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of liability
Noun
  • Finding the balance between preserving clubhouse culture and throwing future pieces into the fire remains complicated, even as the team dropped to 60-65 following Saturday’s 5-4 walk-off loss to the New York Mets.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Some of this can be attributed to a loss of trust in institutions, especially those tied to public health, thanks in part to the Covid-19 pandemic.
    — T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of loss

Browse Nearby Words

disaccustomed
disadvantage
disadvantaged
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disadvantage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disadvantage. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on disadvantage

Nglish: Translation of disadvantage for Spanish Speakers

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