1
as in disappointment
the emotion felt when one's expectations are not met
the museum exhibit was just so-so, and we returned home with a vague sense of letdown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to disappoint
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
with my poor performance I really felt that I had let my teammates down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of letdown
Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026
Danaher’s 2026 guidance, issued in late January, was a letdown for a market that was hoping the company and the broader life-sciences industry had fully turned the corner toward following multiple sluggish, post-pandemic years.
—Matthew J. Belvedere,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Jesus R. Garcia, Houston Chronicle, 8 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for letdown
Noun
Knicks fans, no strangers to letdowns, put their rare bottle of optimism back on the shelf, unsure whether it will be uncorked for the playoffs.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026
Danaher’s 2026 guidance, issued in late January, was a letdown for a market that was hoping the company and the broader life-sciences industry had fully turned the corner toward following multiple sluggish, post-pandemic years.
—Matthew J. Belvedere,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
However, all this useful and capable hardware is let down by one missing component — a skid plate.
—Jesus R. Garcia, Houston Chronicle, 8 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for letdown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for letdown
Noun
-
The penultimate episode rushes through its climax, but even that brief disappointment, in hindsight, feels like a choice meant to foreground what really matters.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In an interview with CNN, Rutte said Trump had made his disappointment with NATO allies clear.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Jennifer Aniston’s Instagram never disappoints, often including adorable dogs, friends (sometimes THE Friends), and enviable hair to boot.—
Claire West,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
-
This way you won’t be disappointed.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Southern California residents are voicing their frustrations over the cost of tickets for the LA28 Olympic Games, which event organizers have billed as affordable, especially after getting early access last week.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
For years, summer day camp registration has been a source of frustration.—
Carlos Ramirez-Rosa,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Perhaps the most volatile split ripped the aforementioned Cassie and Maddy apart, after the former struck up a relationship with Maddy's ex, Nate (Jacob Elordi), much to the latter's dismay.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
-
To his dismay, Frederik learned this week that FIFA had changed the seating map at Arrowhead.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Letdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/letdown. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
