DISADVANTAGE Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

disadvantage

noun

ˌdis-əd-ˈvan-tij

Definition of disadvantage

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

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 Democrats face fundraising disadvantages compared with Republicans, along with financial debt, and Martin has confronted criticism over his stewardship of the party. — Mike Catalini, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 The Cryptographic Context Injection is only the latest example of the disadvantage LLM defenders operate under. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 2026 Bleiker says an important takeaway from the study is that children who don’t have access to quality preschool may continue to find themselves at a disadvantage academically. — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026 Districts are competing for the best talent, which contributes to turnover and puts rural counties especially at a disadvantage. — Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disadvantage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disadvantage

Noun

Weiss runs a country club where golf clubs become horsepower, fairways give way to a racetrack and the handicap system is measured in lap time.

— Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Tragically, Alice’s shower trauma turns out to be a big handicap for her in her pursuit of Catherine’s trust.

— Erin Qualey, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of handicap

Noun

Others argued the city cannot afford massive new spending on police, its greatest expense, and must make the department more efficient.

— Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
The Family Dollar employee suffered damages, including losses in compensation and benefits, medical expenses, and anxiety and emotional distress, according to the EEOC.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of expense

Noun

Opponents argue that the nation that won its independence from Denmark in 1944 enjoys all the benefits of European integration with no drawbacks.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) may have solved the biggest drawback of electric vehicle range anxiety.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 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

Under existing law, studios can choose to get cash back instead of claiming the incentives as a credit against tax liability — but at the cost of a 10% discount, with a payback period of five years.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
In 2000, when a small tanker carrying no liability insurance and no class certificate sank off Abu Dhabi, the Funds paid claimants in the United Arab Emirates anyway.

— Charles Edward Gehrke, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of liability

Noun

Mayer’s three professional defeats have now all come in England, following split-decision losses to Alycia Baumgardner in London in 2022 and Natasha Jonas in Liverpool in 2024.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
After missing the playoffs in 2025, Martin started off on a great note, handing a solid Mansfield program a 38-35 loss.

— Charles Baggarly August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of loss

Browse Nearby Words

disaccustomed

disadvantage

disadvantaged

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Disadvantage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disadvantage. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of disadvantage

noun

Example Sentences

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