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; letting down; lets down
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
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
Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2024
The inevitable reprise of Psycho’s iconic shower scene is something of a letdown, but there are newer, more explicit shocks, including a curtain-call killing that opened a vacancy for Psycho III, this time with Perkins directing.
—Donald Liebenson, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2024
Maayan Lubell, Maya Gebeily, and Laila Bassam, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2024
Likely due to those career woes, Preston began letting down his mask.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for letdown 
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Noun
More important, though: This week and this game over the past eight years more often than not has ended in letdown.
—Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2024
The inevitable reprise of Psycho’s iconic shower scene is something of a letdown, but there are newer, more explicit shocks, including a curtain-call killing that opened a vacancy for Psycho III, this time with Perkins directing.
—Donald Liebenson, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2024
Verb
While diplomacy focuses on Lebanon, Palestinians feel let down by the world after 14 months of conflict which has devastated the Gaza Strip and killed more than 44,000 people.
—Maayan Lubell, Maya Gebeily, and Laila Bassam, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2024
Likely due to those career woes, Preston began letting down his mask.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for letdown
Dictionary Entries Near letdown
Cite this Entry
“Letdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/letdown. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
letdown
1 of 2 noun
let·down
ˈlet-ˌdau̇n
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 nounˈlet-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
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