letdown

noun

let·down | \ ˈlet-ˌdau̇n

Definition of letdown

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

verb

let down; letting down; lets down

Definition of let down (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to allow to descend gradually

2a : 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

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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: Noun

Unfortunately, the Huskies have to face a frisky Hawaii team a week after a massive letdown. — C.j. Doon, baltimoresun.com, "Can Maryland and Penn State preserve their ranked matchup? Most intriguing college football questions for Week 3," 13 Sep. 2019 Helton understood that, in the wake of a potentially season-defining victory and with a road trip to Brigham Young ahead, his Trojans were now especially prone to a letdown. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, "Clay Helton and USC wary of trap game against BYU after big win over Stanford," 13 Sep. 2019 But that’s not a lock given the last week and the emotional letdown in its wake. — BostonGlobe.com, "Betts' leadoff homer," 11 Sep. 2019 The second week of the college football season is in the books and while there were some thrilling performances by teams, there also were big letdowns. — Matt Murschel, orlandosentinel.com, "FSU, Miami among college football teams coming off disappointing weekends," 8 Sep. 2019 Though after finishing with 12 receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns, the senior didn’t attribute the loss to either goal-line letdown. — Nick Moyle, ExpressNews.com, "Missed opportunities cost Texas chance to make early-season statement," 8 Sep. 2019 If Auburn fans were concerned about an emotional letdown after the Tigers’ last-second win over Oregon last week, don’t worry. — Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, "Watch Auburn’s emotional and moving tribute to Rod Bramblett," 7 Sep. 2019 In the Eastern Conference, three teams have separated themselves from a muddled pack, but last season's defending champion still has work to do to earn home field advantage up until MLS Cup following a weekend letdown. — Avi Creditor, SI.com, "The MLS XI, Week 26: The West is Wild; Philly, NYCFC Clinch," 2 Sep. 2019 Actually, first there is a buildup and then a letdown. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Padres’ focus shifts to winning now for later," 1 Sep. 2019

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.

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Dictionary Entries near letdown

let bug

let bygones be bygones

Statistics for letdown

Last Updated

17 Sep 2019

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Time Traveler for letdown

The first known use of letdown was in the 12th century

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More Definitions for letdown

letdown

noun

English Language Learners Definition of letdown

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

letdown

noun

let·down | \ ˈlet-ˌdau̇n

Kids Definition of letdown

: disappointment sense 2

letdown

noun

\ ˈlet-ˌdau̇n\

Medical Definition of letdown

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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