letdown
B2Neutral to informal
Definition
Meaning
A disappointment; a failure to meet expectations or hopes.
A decrease in pressure or intensity; the act of releasing or lowering something.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used as a countable noun. Can refer to both emotional disappointment and mechanical/physical lowering. Often preceded by adjectives like 'big', 'real', 'huge', 'terrible'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or meaning differences. 'Let-down' with a hyphen is a less common variant in both varieties.
Connotations
Slightly more informal in British English. In American English, can be used more readily in business/sports contexts.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English corpora.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be a letdownprove to be a letdownfind something a letdownconsider something a letdowndescribe something as a letdownVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Post-victory letdown”
- “Holiday letdown”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Referring to a product launch, sales figures, or quarterly results that fail to meet forecasts.
Academic
Rare. Could describe research findings that contradict a promising hypothesis.
Everyday
Common for describing films, meals, holidays, gifts, or events that were not as good as expected.
Technical
In medicine/biology: the release of milk in lactation. In engineering: a reduction in pressure or flow.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The film really let us down.
- I felt let down by their poor service.
American English
- The team let down their fans.
- Don't let me down on this project.
adjective
British English
- It was a very let-down feeling after the excitement faded. (Hyphenated, informal)
American English
- We were all pretty let down after the game. (Two words as adjective phrase)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The rainy weather was a big letdown for our picnic.
- The toy looked better in the advert. It was a bit of a letdown.
- After all the hype, the new smartphone model proved to be a real letdown.
- The concert was good, but the sound quality was a letdown.
- The government's failure to deliver on its promise was a profound letdown for many voters.
- She tried to hide her sense of letdown when she didn't get the promotion.
- The novel's contrived ending was a monumental letdown, undermining its otherwise brilliant character development.
- Investors feared a post-earnings letdown after the stock's meteoric rise.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine someone LETting you DOWN from a high place where you expected a great view, but you only see something disappointing.
Conceptual Metaphor
HIGH EXPECTATIONS ARE UP, DISAPPOINTMENT IS DOWN.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation as 'отпустить вниз'. The noun 'разочарование' is the closest equivalent for the main meaning.
- Do not confuse with 'let down' (verb phrase) which can mean 'to lower' or 'to fail someone'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'It letdown me' – incorrect; correct verb is 'let down').
- Spelling as one word for the verb phrase ('He letdown his team' is incorrect).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'letdown' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
As a noun meaning 'disappointment', it is standardly written as one word ('letdown') or sometimes with a hyphen ('let-down'). The verb is always two words: 'let down'.
No, it is inherently negative, describing a failure to meet positive expectations. Its antonyms (like 'highlight', 'success') are used for positive experiences.
They are largely synonymous, but 'letdown' is slightly more informal and often implies a sharper, more personal feeling of being 'dropped' from a height of expectation. 'Disappointment' is more general and formal.
Yes. In medicine, it refers to the milk ejection reflex in breastfeeding. In engineering, it can mean a reduction in pressure, stress, or tension in a system.
Explore