setback
/ˈsɛtbæk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.37 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An obstacle, delay, disadvantage, or blow (an adverse event which slows down, or prevents progress towards a desired outcome).
noun
Any adverse event, defeat, or impediment of progress.
noun
An offset to the temperature setting of a thermostat to cover a period when more or less heating is required than usual.
Example Sentences
- "After some initial setbacks, the expedition went safely on its way."
- "DUKAT: I blame no one but myself. I was indiscreet. I compromised myself and have been punished accordingly. If someone under my command had behaved so outrageously, I would do the same thing to him. Besides, I assure you, this is only a temporary setback. Everything I have lost, I will regain. It's only a matter of time."
- "The Constitutional Court has ruled today, November 17th, that Section 1448 of the Thai Civil and Commercial, stating that “a marriage can take place only between a man and a woman”, is constitutional under the Thai constitutional law. This decision could be a major setback for many Thai LGBTQ activist groups’ continued journey of what they call basic human rights to legally allow same-sex marriages in Thailand."
- "Setbacks were initially used for structural reasons, but now are often mandated by land use codes."
- "Fuel savings from thermostat setbacks have long been accepted as fact, but little documentation existed to support it."