letdown

American  

[let-doun] / ˈlɛtˌdaʊn /

Or let-down

noun

1. a decrease in volume, force, energy, etc..

   a letdown in sales; a general letdown of social barriers.

2. disillusionment, discouragement, or disappointment.

   The job was a letdown.

3. depression; deflation.

   He felt a terrible letdown at the end of the play.

4. the accelerated movement of milk into the mammary glands of lactating mammals upon stimulation, as by massage or suckling.

5. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of letdown

First recorded in 1760–70; noun use of verb phrase let down

Example Sentences

Nothing may ever hold a candle to that evening against Denmark, but this was a bit of a letdown.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

It happened when I pumped, and even when I merely anticipated milk letdown.

From Slate • Mar. 15, 2026

That may be somewhat of a letdown after the past three years—yet history is rife with examples of much worse outcomes.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

For workers hoping for a return to the rapid job-hopping and leverage of the early 2020s, 2026 may feel like a letdown.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 9, 2026

But of course the response was a letdown for Hickock’s attorney, who hopelessly asked, “Can you qualify that answer?”

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Related Words

• anticlimax
• comedown
• setback