Adjacent Words

Disadvantage definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DISADVANTAGE, n.
1. That which prevents success, or renders it difficult; a state not favorable to successful operation. The army commenced an attack on the enemy, notwithstanding the disadvantage of its position.
2. Any unfavorable state; a state in which some loss or injury may be sustained. Hence,
3. Loss; injury; prejudice to interest, fame, credit, profit, or other good; as, to sell goods to disadvantage.
DISADVANTAGE, v.t. To injure in interest; to prejudice.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position [ant: advantage, vantage] v
1: put at a disadvantage; hinder, harm; "This rule clearly disadvantages me" [syn: disadvantage, disfavor, disfavour] [ant: advantage]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English disavauntage, from Anglo-French desavantage, from des- dis- + avantage advantage Date: 14th century 1. loss or damage especially to reputation, credit, or finances ; detriment <the deal worked to their disadvantage> 2. a. an unfavorable, inferior, or prejudicial condition <we were at a disadvantage> b. a quality or circumstance that makes achievement unusually difficult ; handicap <his lack of formal schooling was a serious disadvantage> II. transitive verb Date: circa 1534 to place at a disadvantage ; harm

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 an unfavourable circumstance or condition. 2 damage to one's interest or reputation. --v.tr. cause disadvantage to. Phrases and idioms: at a disadvantage in an unfavourable position or aspect. Etymology: ME f. OF desavantage: see ADVANTAGE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Disadvantage Dis`ad*van"tage, v. t. [Cf. F. d['e]savantager.] To injure the interest of; to be detrimental to.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Disadvantage Dis`ad*van"tage (?; 48, 61), n. [Cf. F. d['e]savantage.] 1. Deprivation of advantage; unfavorable or prejudicial quality, condition, circumstance, or the like; that which hinders success, or causes loss or injury. I was brought here under the disadvantage of being unknown by sight to any of you. --Burke. Abandoned by their great patron, the faction henceforward acted at disadvantage. --Palfrey. 2. Loss; detriment; hindrance; prejudice to interest, fame, credit, profit, or other good. They would throw a construction on his conduct, to his disadvantage before the public. --Bancroft. Syn: Detriment; injury; hurt; loss; damage.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(disadvantages) 1. A disadvantage is a factor which makes someone or something less useful, acceptable, or successful than other people or things. His two main rivals suffer the disadvantage of having been long-term political exiles... ...the advantages and disadvantages of allowing priests to marry. ? advantage N-COUNT: oft N of n 2. If you are at a disadvantage, you have a problem or difficulty that many other people do not have, which makes it harder for you to be successful. The children from poor families were at a distinct disadvantage... PHRASE: v-link PHR 3. If something is to your disadvantage or works to your disadvantage, it creates difficulties for you. A snap election would be to their disadvantage... PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Unfavorableness, disadvantageousness, inconvenience. 2. Injury, loss, damage, detriment, disservice, prejudice, hurt, drawback, harm.

Moby Thesaurus

abuse, ado, afflict, aggrieve, annoyance, anxiety, bar, befoul, besetment, bewitch, blight, blocking, bother, burden, burthen, can of worms, cargo, charge, condemn, corrupt, cross, crucify, cumbrance, curse, damage, deadweight, defect, defile, deprave, deprivation, despoil, destroy, detriment, difficulty, disability, disaccommodate, discommode, disoblige, disserve, disservice, distress, do a mischief, do evil, do ill, do wrong, do wrong by, doom, drawback, embarrassment, encumbrance, envenom, evil, fault, flaw, freight, get into trouble, great ado, hamper, handicap, harass, harm, headache, hex, hindrance, hurt, impair, impairment, impediment, impedimenta, impose upon, imposition, incommode, inconvenience, infect, injure, injury, jinx, liability, load, loss, loss of ground, lumber, maltreat, matter, menace, mischief, mistreat, molest, obstacle, obstruction, onus, outrage, pack, peck of troubles, penalty, persecute, play havoc with, play hob with, poison, pollute, prejudice, problem, put out, put to inconvenience, put to trouble, savage, scathe, sea of troubles, shortcoming, step backward, taint, threaten, torment, torture, trouble, violate, weakness, weight, white elephant, worry, wound, wreak havoc on, wrong