let down

British  

verb

1. (also preposition) to lower

2. to fail to fulfil the expectations of (a person); disappoint

3. to undo, shorten, and resew (the hem) so as to lengthen (a dress, skirt, etc)

4. to untie (long hair that is bound up) and allow to fall loose

5. to deflate

   to let down a tyre

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noun

1. a disappointment

2. the gliding descent of an aircraft in preparation for landing

3. the release of milk from the mammary glands following stimulation by the hormone oxytocin

let down Idioms  

1. Cause to descend, lower, as in They let down the sails . [Mid-1100s]

2. Also, let up . Slacken, abate, as in Sales are letting down in this quarter , or They didn't let up in their efforts until the end . The first term dates from the mid-1800s, the variant from the late 1700s.

3. See let someone down . Also see let one's hair down .

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

let down

"Thames Water customers have been let down for far too long, with 15 years of under-performance, increasing serious pollution, and customers left to pick up the bill," the spokesperson said.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

"Pupils, parents and schools have been badly let down," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

He added that there has been a "complete failure" by the EA to plan for the next steps of the education journey and "parents rightly feel let down".

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026

Alphonsi, who won 74 caps for England, said she felt let down by Smith's punishment.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

Soon they got up and left, for they had decided to try their luck with the fishing nets let down through big holes chopped in the ice.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich