damp squib
noun
British
: something that is disappointing because it is not as exciting or effective as expected
The company's stock turned out to be something of a damp squib.
Examples of damp squib in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Twenty five years on from that sorry, damp squib of a farewell against Germany, the old Wembley, and all its maddening idiosyncrasies, is still very much missed.
—
Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Monday’s damp squib in Burnley did not help the narrative.
—Beren Cross, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
The contrast between this damp squib of an evening and their respective first jobs back in 2014 couldn’t be more stark.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
This political backdrop raises the possibility that his low-energy announcement speech may be a damp squib.
—The Editors, National Review, 15 Nov. 2022
People have always made overblown promises for AI, which have inevitably ended in a damp squib.
—Ravi Mayuram, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2022
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Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Monday’s damp squib in Burnley did not help the narrative.
—Beren Cross, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
The contrast between this damp squib of an evening and their respective first jobs back in 2014 couldn’t be more stark.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
This political backdrop raises the possibility that his low-energy announcement speech may be a damp squib.
—The Editors, National Review, 15 Nov. 2022
People have always made overblown promises for AI, which have inevitably ended in a damp squib.
—Ravi Mayuram, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Damp squib.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damp%20squib. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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