1
as in disappointment
the emotion felt when one's expectations are not met
the museum exhibit was just so-so, and we returned home with a vague sense of letdown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to disappoint
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
with my poor performance I really felt that I had let my teammates down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of letdown
Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026
Outside of Ronald Acuña, Atlanta’s offense has dropped across the board in ADP due to last season’s letdown.
—Jake Ciely, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026
However, all this useful and capable hardware is let down by one missing component — a skid plate.
—Jesus R. Garcia, Houston Chronicle, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for letdown
Noun
Expect letdown for Texas after Saturday's emotional win?
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026
Outside of Ronald Acuña, Atlanta’s offense has dropped across the board in ADP due to last season’s letdown.
—Jake Ciely, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
And the title track features what sounds like a bouzouki riff, although it is let down by strangely disposable lyrics on what might be the least enigmatic song Morrissey has ever sung.
—Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026
However, all this useful and capable hardware is let down by one missing component — a skid plate.
—Jesus R. Garcia, Houston Chronicle, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for letdown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for letdown
Noun
-
The timing of Promising Young Woman, premiering to big buzz at Sundance in 2020 and then languishing in pandemic purgatory before ultimately getting dumped onto VOD, was a disappointment.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Asked if there was a disappointment along the way in not being able to do a deal amid his season-long extension window, Powell turned diplomatic.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Jennifer Aniston’s Instagram never disappoints, often including adorable dogs, friends (sometimes THE Friends), and enviable hair to boot.—
Claire West,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
-
This way you won’t be disappointed.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Other polling finds that frustration goes beyond personal tax obligations, with many believing that wealthy people and corporations are not paying their fair share, while others worry about government waste.—
Linley Sanders,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The company’s failure to repay billions of dollars of wealth management products unleashed frustration among the lower and middle classes, many of whom had investments wiped out, provoking protests and threatening social stability.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Perhaps the most volatile split ripped the aforementioned Cassie and Maddy apart, after the former struck up a relationship with Maddy's ex, Nate (Jacob Elordi), much to the latter's dismay.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
-
To his dismay, Frederik learned this week that FIFA had changed the seating map at Arrowhead.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Letdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/letdown. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
