letdown

noun let·down \ ˈlet-ˌdau̇n \

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

Definition of letdown

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

See letdown defined for English-language learners

See letdown defined for kids

Examples of letdown in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of letdown from the Web

With his team already eliminated (and one of this World Cup’s biggest letdowns), this could be the 33-year-old outside back’s last game on the big stage.

— jonathan tannenwald, Philly.com, "World Cup schedule, TV and streaming info: England, Belgium square off, Colombia looks to advance," 27 June 2018
Andrew Das: Croatia in anything but the checkerboard feels like a letdown, but that Perisic shot nearly makes everyone forget.

— tariq panja, New York Times, "Croatia Buries Argentina’s World Cup Hopes in a Deep Hole," 22 June 2018
Nothing like that happened, and the failure of vodka to achieve sufficient centrality there felt a bit like a letdown.

— sergio de la pava, WSJ, "Can You Taste a City in a Bottle of Vodka?," 14 June 2018
Biggest Missed Opportunity: Jedi: Fallen Order was announced sans logo or even concept trailer, which felt like a letdown.

— julie muncy, WIRED, "The Biggest Surprises (and Missed Opportunities) of the E3 Press Conferences," 12 June 2018
Whether November in California will be a letdown or a leg up for Democrats' hopes of the House majority remains to be seen.

— chris cillizza, CNN, "Point/CounterPoint: The California primary," 6 June 2018
The throw-it-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks attitude lent itself to some letdowns and minor disasters.

— peter hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle, "Clusterfest lets loose in unfettered romp; fans laugh off glitches," 3 June 2018
Hitting a major goal or completing a long-term project brings with it a tremendous sense of satisfaction, as well as an almost inevitable letdown.

— daniel j. green /, NBC News, "I hit my fitness goal, then fell off track. Now what?," 25 May 2018
Her election was a letdown for Mayor Carlos Gimenez, a Republican who endorsed Barreiro and helped her raise money.

— douglas hanks, miamiherald, "Eileen Higgins wins Miami-Dade commission seat in upset over Zoraida Barreiro," 19 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'letdown.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of letdown

1768

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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letdown Synonyms

let down

verb

Definition of let down

transitive verb

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

See let down defined for kids

Examples of let down in a Sentence

with my poor performance I really felt that I had let my teammates down

First Known Use of let down

12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

let down Synonyms

Synonyms

cheat, disappoint, dissatisfy, fail;

Antonyms

content, gratify, satisfy;

Near Antonyms

fulfill (or fulfil);

gladden;

disenchant, disillusion;

deceive, delude, mock;

LETDOWN Defined for English Language Learners

letdown

noun

Definition of letdown for English Language Learners

: something that is not as good as it was expected to be

LETDOWN Defined for Kids

letdown

noun let·down \ ˈlet-ˌdau̇n \

Definition of letdown for Students

: disappointment 2

Medical Dictionary

letdown

noun \ ˈlet-ˌdau̇n \

medical Definition of letdown

: 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