setback
[noun]
Synonyms: hold-up, blow, check, defeat, disappointment, hitch, misfortune, reverse

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Contrasted words: advancement, forwarding, progressing
Related Idioms: reverse of fortune
Related Words: delay, retardation, slowdown, hindrance, impediment, obstacle, stumbling block, disappointment, rebuff, defeat, regress, regression

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English Thesaurus: setback, snag, hitch, trouble, hassle, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

set‧back /ˈsetbæk/ noun [countable]
a problem that delays or prevents progress, or makes things worse than they were
setback for
The December elections were a major setback for the party.
The team’s hopes of playing in Europe suffered a setback last night.
⇒ set back at set¹

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

setback
noun
ADJ. temporary | initial | big, major, serious, severe | unexpected | economic, financial | military
VERB + SETBACK experience, receive, suffer His research has suffered a temporary setback.
PREP. ~ for a further setback for the coal industry
~ to a serious setback to his chances of re-election

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

setback

suffer a setback
The team suffered a serious setback when the goalkeeper went off injured.
receive a setback
The islands’ economy had received a severe setback from the effects of hurricane Hugo.
a major setback
Losing our key player would be a major setback for the team.
a big/serious/severe setback
This is a serious setback to the company.
a minor setback (=not very bad)
It was only a minor setback.
a temporary setback (=lasting only a short time)
Try not to be discouraged by temporary setbacks.
an early/initial setback (=happening quite soon)
The policy has been successful, despite some early setbacks.
a political/military/economic setback
The defeat represented a major political setback for the conservatives.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

setback a problem that stops you from making progress:
The space program suffered a major setback when the space shuttle, Discovery, exploded.
snag informal a problem, especially one that you had not expected:
There’s a snag – I don’t have his number.
hitch a small problem that delays or prevents something:
There have been a few last-minute hitches.
trouble when something does not work in the way it should:
The plane developed engine trouble.
hassle spoken a situation that is annoying because it causes problems:
Just trying to store all this stuff is a hassle.
tear to damage paper or cloth by pulling it too hard, or letting it touch something sharp:
She unwrapped the present carefully, trying not to tear the paper.
I tore a hole in my jacket, climbing over the fence.
rip to tear something quickly or violently:
Beth excitedly ripped open the package.
Stop pulling my dress! You’ll rip it!
split to tear your trousers or shirt when you put them on, because they are too tight for you:
He bent down and split his trousers.
Oh no, now I’ve split my shirt.
ladder British English if a woman ladders her tights or STOCKINGS, she tears them so that a long thin line appears in them:
Damn! I’ve laddered my tights!
shred to deliberately destroy letters, documents etc by cutting them into thin pieces, often by using a special machine:
In order to prevent fraud, it’s best to shred your bank statements.
I went through all my papers shredding things I didn’t need.
frayed torn a little along the edges – used about clothes, carpets etc that have been used a lot:
He was wearing an old pair of frayed jeans.
The rug was a little frayed around the edges.
The jacket was a little frayed at the cuffs.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

setback
n. A disadvantage; a delay.
We suffered a major setback when my wife lost her job.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲