letdown

play

noun let·down \ ˈlet-ˌdau̇n \

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

Ashlyn Etter, a solar eclipse merchandise vendor in Madras, felt letdown by the eclipse hype.

— carli brosseau, OregonLive.com, "Eclipse emergency managers wonder: Is this the calm before the storm?," 19 Aug. 2017
Breakfast food has the highest markup and is the biggest letdown of any meal out.

— alyse whitney, Bon Appetit, "Why Airbnb Is the Only Way I'll Do Vegas," 14 Aug. 2017
But at worst, the bills could be just another letdown.

— priscilla alvarez, The Atlantic, "Could Trump’s Immigration Agenda Ever Get Through Congress?," 28 July 2017
Shawn Lawson and Seb Harris each scored twice, and Detroit City FC overcame an early letdown goal to defeat Dakota Fusion FC, 5-1, in the National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region opener Saturday.

— brandon folsom, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit City FC rolls past Dakota Fusion, 5-1, in NSPL playoff match," 22 July 2017
Francona thought the Indians had lost their edge, and sensed that his team had suffered a natural letdown from the excitement, electricity and newness of the previous October.

— tom verducci, SI.com, "Play ball (again)! Home run chases, pennant races, trading aces, new World Series faces," 13 July 2017
The second season was a letdown for me, but the scene where Titus is singing backup for all the crazy Alex Jone-ish dude's songs made me lose it.

— zach buchanan, Cincinnati.com, "BAR: All-Star chances and the disabled list," 21 June 2017
By keeping the knowledge a secret until the delivery, the letdown came as a complete surprise.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "Diana Said Her Marriage "Went Down the Drain" Because Prince Charles Wanted a Girl," 15 June 2017
The Senate testimony of James Comey, while packed with dramatic moments, was, in some ways, a letdown after a week of media hype.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "Trump’s Official Response to Comey Doesn’t Add Up," 8 June 2017

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

letdown Synonyms

Synonyms

dismay, dissatisfaction, frustration, disappointment

Antonyms

content, contentedness, contentment, gratification, satisfaction

Near Antonyms

fulfillment (or fulfilment); bliss, felicity, gladness, happiness, joy

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

let down Synonyms

Synonyms

cheat, dissatisfy, fail, disappoint

Antonyms

content, gratify, satisfy

Related Words

bum (out), chagrin, discontent, disgruntle, displease, distress, upset; disenchant, disillusion; deceive, delude, mock

Near Antonyms

fulfill (or fulfil); gladden

LETDOWN Defined for English Language Learners

letdown

play

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

play

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