letdown
Americannoun
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a decrease in volume, force, energy, etc..
a letdown in sales; a general letdown of social barriers.
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disillusionment, discouragement, or disappointment.
The job was a letdown.
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depression; deflation.
He felt a terrible letdown at the end of the play.
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the accelerated movement of milk into the mammary glands of lactating mammals upon stimulation, as by massage or suckling.
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Aeronautics. the descent of an aircraft from a higher to a lower altitude preparatory to making an approach and landing or to making a target run or the like.
Etymology
Origin of letdown
First recorded in 1760–70; noun use of verb phrase let down
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.
The video was a big letdown: “It was just a normal, non-ninja, black cat.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
The latest letdown comes at an inopportune moment.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
Nothing may ever hold a candle to that evening against Denmark, but this was a bit of a letdown.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
“But D-MER is very specifically characterized by how abrupt it is. It comes on suddenly with milk letdown and resolves quickly. Baby blues don’t behave that way. They’re not tied to a specific physical trigger.”
From Slate • Mar. 15, 2026
Our move to Los Angeles had been a big letdown.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
