Set back meaning
Set back means to make something happen later or more slowly than planned. It can also mean to cost someone a lot of money (informal).
set somebody or something back
set back · set · setting
The storm set the building work back by a month.
Set back meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Make something happen later or more slowly than planned
set somebody or something back
- The storm set the building work back by a month.
- His knee injury set back his training.
- This mistake won’t set us back too much.
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2
Cost someone a lot of money (informal)
set somebody back
- The new tyres set me back three hundred pounds.
- How much did that jacket set you back?
- A week in Iceland will set us back a lot.
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3
Place a building some distance away from a road
set something back
- The house is set back from the road behind tall trees.
- The café was set back a little, so we nearly missed it.
- Why is the school set so far back?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use set back in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is set back separable?
Set back is separable: set back the plan, set the plan back, set it back. For cost, the person always goes in the middle: It set me back 50 euros.
The noun setback, one word, is very common: a problem that stops progress for a time. We had a small setback.
Verb tenses for set back
| Present | I set back · she sets back |
|---|---|
| Past | set back |
| Present perfect | have set back |
| -ing form | setting back |
Common mistakes with set back
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: The repair set back me a lot of money.
Right: The repair set me back a lot of money.
For cost, the person goes between set and back.
Wrong: The rain set back the match for two days.
Right: The rain set back the match by two days.
Use by for how much later.
Wrong: We had a set back with the project.
Right: We had a setback with the project.
The noun is one word: setback.
Synonyms and opposites of set back
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- costthe neutral word: It cost me 50 euros
- delaymake something late; the most common word
- hold upmake someone late, often for a short time
Opposite
- speed upmake something happen faster
- savenot have to spend money
Set back quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The storm ___ the building work by two weeks.
Set back means make something happen later than planned.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The person goes in the middle, the amount at the end.
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3“Losing the files was a big setback.” What happened?
A setback is a problem that delays progress.
More phrasal verbs with set
5 phrasal verbs start with set. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Set back FAQ
Questions people ask about set back.
What is a setback?
A setback is a problem that stops you or makes you slower for a time. Losing the match was a setback, but the team can still win the cup.
What does how much did it set you back mean?
It is an informal way to ask how much something cost. It suggests the price was high.
Is set back formal?
The cost meaning is informal. The delay meaning is neutral and common in news: Talks were set back by a week.
Use set back in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.