What does drawback mean?
A drawback is a disadvantage or negative feature that detracts from something otherwise appealing or useful. When people weigh up options — a job offer, a new gadget, a policy proposal — they often list the pros and cons, and each con is a drawback. The word is typically paired with an article and a qualifier, as in 'the main drawback', 'the only drawback', or 'a major drawback', and it commonly takes the preposition 'of' followed by the thing being assessed. Its tone is measured rather than harsh: calling something a drawback acknowledges merit while flagging a flaw, which makes it a favourite word in reviews, consumer advice, and academic discussion. Historically, drawback had a very different meaning — a refund of import duties paid on goods later re-exported, so named because the duty was literally 'drawn back' from the merchant. That commercial sense still exists in trade law, but today it is rare outside specialist contexts. The word's everyday sense developed in the nineteenth century, extending the idea of something being pulled back into the notion of a factor holding a plan or choice back.
A disadvantage or negative aspect of an otherwise desirable situation, plan, or thing.
"The main drawback of working from home is the lack of face-to-face contact with colleagues."
Usually preceded by 'the' and often modified by an adjective such as 'main', 'only', or 'major'.
A refund of customs or excise duties paid on imported goods that are later re-exported.
"The exporter applied for a drawback of the duties paid on the raw materials."
Now largely confined to trade and legal contexts.
Regular plural, used when listing multiple disadvantages.
"Despite its many advantages, the scheme has several serious drawbacks."
Drawback wasn't always negative — it originally meant money literally 'drawn back' as a refund of import duties in 18th-century trade.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of drawback
Drawback was formed in English by compounding the native verb 'draw' with the adverb 'back'. Its earliest recorded use, in the eighteenth century, referred to the refunding of customs duties on imported goods that were subsequently re-exported — the duty being literally 'drawn back' from the treasury. By the early nineteenth century the word had developed its familiar figurative sense of a disadvantage or hindrance. It shares the Old English root 'dragan' (to pull, to carry) with related words such as 'drag' and 'withdraw'.
How drawback is actually used
Drawback is neutral to slightly formal in register and appears frequently in reviews, comparisons, and evaluations ('the drawbacks outweigh the benefits'). It is almost always used with the definite article ('the drawback') rather than alone. The historical customs-refund sense survives mainly in trade and legal contexts.
Easily confused with drawback
A drawback is an inherent disadvantage of something, while a setback is a temporary event that delays or reverses progress.