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Glite Dictionary
unfavorable position

unfavorable position

4.2
A situation where someone has less chance to win or succeed
  • noun
  • /ʌnˈfeɪvərəbəl pəˈzɪʃən/
  • US
translation icon : posición desfavorable
  • Ali Baba is, for a moment, in the upper hand; however, the slave girl suddenly flies over to save her master, and with a thunderous, unforeseen kick, Ali Baba is then left in an unfavorable position instead.

Examples

  • Due to budget cuts, the organization found itself in an unfavorable position during the negotiations.

  • What is more harmful to West Bank agriculture is its unfavorable position in relation to Israeli agriculture.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The non-talented members may accept their unfavorable position and take no action.

    Academic text (2001)

  • After losing the first game, the team is now in an unfavorable position to win the championship.

  • The harsh weather put the hikers in an unfavorable position, making it difficult for them to continue their journey.

Synonyms

no-win situation
vsunfavorable position
11 5.3

A situation where every choice leads to a bad result

is about being at a comparative disadvantage rather than having every option fail

Antonyms

favorable position
  • US
1 3.8

A situation that gives someone an advantage over others

How Disadvantaged

unfavorable position
  • US
4.2
disadvantage
108 2.9

Surface Forms

unfavorable position singular
unfavorable positions plural

Morphology

unfavorable + position

Both constituents directly contribute to the meaning: 'unfavorable' denotes not advantageous or causing difficulty, and 'position' can mean a situation or standing. The adjective+noun composition yields the clear sense 'a disadvantaged situation', a regular and cross-linguistically common pattern that a B1 learner who knows both words can infer.

Etymology

Unfavorable position comes from old battles where standing lower than the enemy left you in a bad position that was unfavorable and easy to attack. So if you were in that low spot you had less chance to win, and today unfavorable position means 'at a disadvantage'.