setback
A setback is an event or situation that makes progress slower or stops it completely. Imagine running towards your goal, but suddenly hitting a roadblock.
When we talk about setbacks, we usually mean situations that hinder our plans or goals. For example, if you're trying to learn a new language and you have a bad day of forgetting vocabulary, that's a setback. Or, if you're training for a marathon and you get injured, that's definitely a setback. Setbacks can be small, like missing one day of work due to illness, or big, like losing your job because of company restructuring.
How common is "setback"?
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
noun
An obstacle, delay, disadvantage, blow (an adverse event which retards or prevents progress towards a desired outcome)
Example: After some initial setbacks, the expedition went safely on its way.
Real examples of "setback" in context
