Improvement
Improvement noun - An instance of notable progress in the development of knowledge, technology, or skill.
Usage example: there's been a great improvement in your handwriting—I can actually read it!
Setback is an antonym for improvement.
Setback
Setback noun - A change in status for the worse usually temporarily.
Improvement is an antonym for setback.
How words are described
| notable | notable improvement | notable setback |
| long | long improvement | long setback |
| considerable | considerable improvement | considerable setback |
| substantial | substantial improvement | substantial setback |
| Other adjectives: critical, small, massive, large, big, great, serious, huge, little, slight, new, major, immediate, possible, final, significant, recent, bigger, biggest. | ||
Cite this Source
Setback and Improvement. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/improvement/setback
Improvement & Setback. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/improvement/setback>.
Setback or Improvement. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/improvement/setback.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "improvement" and "setback" have occurred on timeline