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
While the overall business had a banner year, that damp squib of an announcement seemed to sum up the entire gaming misadventure.
—
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 28 Dec. 2025
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
People have always made overblown promises for AI, which have inevitably ended in a damp squib.
—Ravi Mayuram, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2022
Whether President Biden’s moonshot lifts off or turns out to be a damp squib will hinge largely on how the administration engages private landowners.
—Brian Yablonski, National Review, 15 Mar. 2021
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Dade Hayes, Deadline, 28 Dec. 2025
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
People have always made overblown promises for AI, which have inevitably ended in a damp squib.
—Ravi Mayuram, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2022
Whether President Biden’s moonshot lifts off or turns out to be a damp squib will hinge largely on how the administration engages private landowners.
—Brian Yablonski, National Review, 15 Mar. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Damp squib.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damp%20squib. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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