letdown

1 of 2

noun

let·​down ˈlet-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce letdown (audio)
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

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
Warriors must reset expectations after home letdown against Knicks Now, the Niners’ modus operandi is to pay top players top dollar. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 Then came maybe the most beautiful letdown of the whole event. Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024 For many Zendaya fans, her seven minutes of screentime in the two-and-a-half-hour movie were a letdown, especially after the Spider-Man star had appeared in countless press events and premieres. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 Coach Orlando Watkins didn’t chalk up the sloppy performance against a sub-.500 team to an emotional letdown following such a big victory. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2024 Ravens fans are still processing their intense disappointment with the team’s letdown performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 3 Feb. 2024 Neither thought the Lions would suffer a letdown this Sunday, crediting Campbell with ensuring his team was ready. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 21 Jan. 2024 That said, this was a prime letdown situation for the Cougars after their breakthrough two days earlier at Arizona, one of the biggest wins in program history. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2024 Tampa Bay ground game a letdown, again The Buccaneers and offensive coordinator Dave Canales very clearly tried to create some balance Sunday. Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
That time, her blonde hair was let down in loose waves with a glowy makeup look to match her ethereal vibes. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2024 After 15 years of futility, unable to reach through the cloud that enveloped him and let down by a mental health system that could do no better, his brothers and sisters shared their experiences with The Times, knowing so many others were going through the same recurring nightmare. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 The district said George’s hair was longer when let down than allowed. Melissa Noel, Essence, 24 Jan. 2024 The glacial soils contain a litter of stones broken from the fractured bedrock by the Laurentide ice sheet, dispersed broadly, and let down on the land like a shroud during final melting between about 20,000 and 15,000 years ago. Robert Thorson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023 The city is slightly let down by its career opportunities, only making 41st place for the local job market. Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Reyes isn’t the only customer who felt let down by AT&T; angry customers flooded AT&T’s social media, blasting the company’s apparent lack of transparency. Samantha Delouya, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024 The show spun three seasons of cerebral, compelling world-building which managed to more or less stick its landing without letting down the audience. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 7 Nov. 2023 A couple of stars sit, the betting line massively shifts, the favorite lets down its guard and the underdog, playing freely, delivers the upset. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'letdown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near letdown

Cite this Entry

“Letdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/letdown. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

letdown

1 of 2 noun
let·​down ˈlet-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce letdown (audio)
1
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
: to release (formed milk) within the mammary gland or udder

More from Merriam-Webster on letdown

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