setback
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. An unfortunate happening that hinders or impedes; a reversal or check in progress: A "setback" is an event that delays your progress or makes a situation worse than it was. 2. Something that is thwarting or frustrating: It refers to a difficulty or problem that makes it harder to achieve something.
Usage and Examples
- General Usage: Used to describe an unexpected problem or reversal that slows down or temporarily stops progress in a plan, project, or personal endeavor.
- The team experienced a major setback when their lead developer resigned.
- The bad weather was a setback to the construction schedule.
- After a series of setbacks, she finally completed her degree.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- Temporary Nature: A setback is typically viewed as a temporary obstacle, not a permanent failure. It implies the possibility of recovery.
- The financial loss was a serious setback, but the company expects to recover next quarter.
- In Formal Contexts: Commonly used in business, academic, medical, and personal development contexts to describe obstacles.
- The clinical trial suffered a setback due to regulatory issues.
Variants and Related Words
- Set back (phrasal verb): To delay or hinder the progress of something.
- The launch was set back by several months.
- Setback (in architecture/planning): A legal requirement that a building or structure be a specified distance from the street, property line, or other feature.
- The city's zoning laws include a 10-foot setback from the sidewalk.
Synonyms
- Hindrance: Something that provides resistance or delay.
- Obstacle: Something that blocks or stands in the way.
- Reversal: A change to an opposite direction, position, or course of action.
- Difficulty: A thing that is hard to accomplish or deal with.
- Impediment: A hindrance or obstruction in doing something.
- Delay: A period of time by which something is late or postponed.
Antonyms
- Advancement: The process of promoting a cause or plan, or moving forward.
- Breakthrough: A sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development.
- Progress: Forward or onward movement toward a destination or goal.
- Success: The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.
Common Collocations and Phrases
- Experience/suffer a setback: To encounter a problem.
- Major/serious/minor/temporary setback: Describing the scale or nature of the problem.
- Face setbacks: To deal with difficulties.
- Overcome a setback: To recover from a difficulty.
Noun
- an unfortunate happening that hinders or impedes; something that is thwarting or frustrating