[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/downside.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / downside

[← D](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/D/)

# downside

«downside» in Mova's school dictionary: **the bad part or disadvantage of something that is mostly…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (a downside, downsides)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A downside is the bad part or disadvantage of something that is mostly good. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/downside/#m1)

2) The downside of a plan is what could go wrong or what it costs you. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/downside/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

Used in debates, persuasive writing and decision-making: listing upsides and downsides (pros and cons). Tells the reader there is a catch. Phrases: the downside is, on the downside, upside and downside.

### examples

- The downside of having a dog is walking it in the rain. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/downside/#x1)
- Living near school is great; the only downside is no bus ride with friends. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/downside/#x2)
- Every plan has a downside. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/downside/#x3)
- One downside of screens at night is poor sleep. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/downside/#x4)
- On the downside, the trip costs a lot. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/downside/#x5)
- List the upsides and downsides before you choose. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/downside/#x6)

### note

Opposite: upside. Informal-neutral; formal word: disadvantage. Do not mix up with «downside up» (a joke) or «upside down». In a decision problem, weigh downsides against upsides.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «downside» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/downside/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.