setbacknounmasculine/kõtɾɐˈtẽpu/mediumcon·tra·tem·poPortuguesEnglishEspanolFrancaisDefinitionAn unexpected and unfavorable event that delays or hinders progress.The bad weather was a setback for the construction project.We faced a minor setback, but we are back on track.synhitchobstaclesnagantadvantageboosthelpCommon collocationssuffer a setbackovercome a setbackminor setbackEtymologyDo italiano 'contratempo'.