letdown

1 of 2

noun

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

2 of 2

verb

let down; letting down; lets 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

Synonyms of letdown

Noun

• disappointment
• frustration
• dismay

Verb

• disappoint

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

Expect letdown for Texas after Saturday's emotional win? —Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026

Outside of Ronald Acuña, Atlanta’s offense has dropped across the board in ADP due to last season’s letdown. —Jake Ciely, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026

Verb

One of the issues with which the original letter writer was struggling was the desire to be compassionate and the feeling of being let down by a friend. —R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026

When many publications let down their paywall at the tantalizing prospect of chasing massive audiences online through social platforms, The Economist remained skeptical, choosing a model that emphasized subscription and reader revenue over advertising. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for letdown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

letdown

1 of 2 noun

let·​down ˈlet-ˌdau̇n 

1

: disappointment sense 2

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 noun

ˈlet-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

-ˈdau̇n 

: to release (formed milk) within the mammary gland or udder