let·down
ˈlet-ˌdau̇n 
1
a
: discouragement, disappointment
his latest novel is a letdown
b
: a slackening of effort : relaxation
2
: the descent of an aircraft or spacecraft to the point at which a landing approach is begun
3
: a physiological response of a lactating mammal to suckling and allied stimuli whereby previously secreted milk from the acini is expelled into ducts and drawn through the nipple
let down; letting down; lets down
1
: to allow to descend gradually
2
a
: to fail to support
felt her parents had let her down
b
: disappoint
the plot lets you down at the end
afraid of letting his father down
Synonyms
Examples of letdown in a Sentence
Noun
the museum exhibit was just so-so, and we returned home with a vague sense of letdown
the eagerly anticipated new movie starring our favorite actor turned out to be a big letdown
Verb
with my poor performance I really felt that I had let my teammates down
Recent Examples on the Web
Staff Author, Parents, 13 Apr. 2024
What a letdown, especially for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has been all amped up that the eclipse was a warning from her God.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Following the Phoenix Suns’ worst letdown of the season, a loss to the 15-win San Antonio Spurs without Victor Wembanyama on the floor, head coach Frank Vogel didn’t mince words.
—Shane Young, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The outcome was a big letdown for the Kings following a big road win over the Clippers on Sunday.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2024
And is there any chance South Carolina has an emotional letdown after coming back from a double-digit deficit at LSU?
—USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024
So this year the group set down a basket of pears, oranges, apples and a kiwi — a choice that was praised by some for its practicality and environmental friendliness but that was a bit of a letdown for a few harder-core traditionalists.
—Michael Laris, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
Not even that matchup, though, would have withstood the letdown for the Pac-12 in its final season had Watkins been seriously hurt.
—Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024
Warriors must reset expectations after home letdown against Knicks
Now, the Niners’ modus operandi is to pay top players top dollar.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
Matt Gardner, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
That time, her blonde hair was let down in loose waves with a glowy makeup look to match her ethereal vibes.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2024
After 15 years of futility, unable to reach through the cloud that enveloped him and let down by a mental health system that could do no better, his brothers and sisters shared their experiences with The Times, knowing so many others were going through the same recurring nightmare.
—Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
The district said George’s hair was longer when let down than allowed.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 24 Jan. 2024
The glacial soils contain a litter of stones broken from the fractured bedrock by the Laurentide ice sheet, dispersed broadly, and let down on the land like a shroud during final melting between about 20,000 and 15,000 years ago.
—Robert Thorson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023
The city is slightly let down by its career opportunities, only making 41st place for the local job market.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Reyes isn’t the only customer who felt let down by AT&T; angry customers flooded AT&T’s social media, blasting the company’s apparent lack of transparency.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024
The show spun three seasons of cerebral, compelling world-building which managed to more or less stick its landing without letting down the audience.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 7 Nov. 2023
Noun
However, their tight fit was a huge letdown for the 10-year-old who tried them on.
—Staff Author, Parents, 13 Apr. 2024
What a letdown, especially for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has been all amped up that the eclipse was a warning from her God.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Following the Phoenix Suns’ worst letdown of the season, a loss to the 15-win San Antonio Spurs without Victor Wembanyama on the floor, head coach Frank Vogel didn’t mince words.
—Shane Young, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The outcome was a big letdown for the Kings following a big road win over the Clippers on Sunday.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2024
And is there any chance South Carolina has an emotional letdown after coming back from a double-digit deficit at LSU?
—USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024
So this year the group set down a basket of pears, oranges, apples and a kiwi — a choice that was praised by some for its practicality and environmental friendliness but that was a bit of a letdown for a few harder-core traditionalists.
—Michael Laris, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
Not even that matchup, though, would have withstood the letdown for the Pac-12 in its final season had Watkins been seriously hurt.
—Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024
Warriors must reset expectations after home letdown against Knicks
Now, the Niners’ modus operandi is to pay top players top dollar.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
Verb
The same can be said for the four programmable rear buttons, which are only let down by their placement–the higher 1 and 2 inputs would be much more comfortable (and reachable) if moved a little more outwards, in line with the outermost shape of the controller.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
That time, her blonde hair was let down in loose waves with a glowy makeup look to match her ethereal vibes.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2024
After 15 years of futility, unable to reach through the cloud that enveloped him and let down by a mental health system that could do no better, his brothers and sisters shared their experiences with The Times, knowing so many others were going through the same recurring nightmare.
—Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
The district said George’s hair was longer when let down than allowed.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 24 Jan. 2024
The glacial soils contain a litter of stones broken from the fractured bedrock by the Laurentide ice sheet, dispersed broadly, and let down on the land like a shroud during final melting between about 20,000 and 15,000 years ago.
—Robert Thorson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023
The city is slightly let down by its career opportunities, only making 41st place for the local job market.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Reyes isn’t the only customer who felt let down by AT&T; angry customers flooded AT&T’s social media, blasting the company’s apparent lack of transparency.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024
The show spun three seasons of cerebral, compelling world-building which managed to more or less stick its landing without letting down the audience.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 7 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'letdown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near letdown
Cite this Entry
“Letdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/letdown. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
letdown
1 of 2 noun
let·down
ˈlet-ˌdau̇n
2
: a slackening of effort
let down
2 of 2 verb(ˈ)let-ˈdau̇n
1
: to fail to help or support
let down a friend in a crisis
2
: to fail to come up to expectations : disappoint
the end of the story lets the reader down
Medical Definition
letdown
1 of 2 nounˈlet-ˌdau̇n
: a physiological response of a lactating mammal to suckling and allied stimuli whereby increased intramammary pressure forces previously secreted milk from the acini and finer tubules into the main collecting ducts from where it can be drawn through the nipple
let down
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to release (formed milk) within the mammary gland or udder
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