damp squib
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of damp squib
First recorded in 1965–70
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice predicted that the forthcoming Clacton by-election could turn out to be a "damp squib" after other major parties said they will not contest the vote.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Jill Rutter, former British civil servant and senior research fellow of the think tank UK in a Changing Europe, described his comments as "a damp squib".
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
Guardiola's 100th Champions League match as City boss was a damp squib, in stark contrast to so many of the previous 99, which includes 62 wins and the club's maiden European crown in 2023.
From Barron's ● Nov. 25, 2025
But the much-anticipated showdown between two Heisman-candidate quarterbacks and national championship-quality teams had been a damp squib over the first two quarters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2025
So the third French expedition had gone off like a damp squib!
From My Lords of Strogue Vol. III, (of III) A Chronicle of Ireland, from the Convention to the Union by Lewis Wingfield
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
