let down

let down
verb
1. move something or somebody to a lower position (Freq. 7)
-

take down the vase from the shelf

• Syn: ↑lower, ↑take down, ↑get down, ↑bring down
• Ant: ↑raise (for: ↑lower)
• Derivationally related forms: ↑lower (for: ↑lower), ↑lowering (for: ↑lower)
• Hypernyms: ↑move, ↑displace
• Hyponyms: ↑reef, ↑depress, ↑dip, ↑incline
• Cause: ↑descend, ↑fall, ↑go down, ↑come down
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

-

Somebody ——s somebody

-

Somebody ——s somebody PP

-

Somebody ——s something PP

2. fail to meet the hopes or expectations of
-

Her boyfriend let her down when he did not propose marriage

• Syn: ↑disappoint
• Derivationally related forms: ↑letdown, ↑disappointment (for: ↑disappoint)
• Hypernyms:
↑thwart, ↑queer, ↑spoil, ↑scotch, ↑foil, ↑cross, ↑frustrate, ↑baffle, ↑bilk
• Hyponyms: ↑fail, ↑betray, ↑fall short, ↑come short, ↑disenchant, ↑disillusion
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s somebody

-

Something ——s somebody

-

The performance is likely to let down Sue

* * *

(of an aircraft or a pilot) descend before making a landing

* * *

let down [phrasal verb]
1 let (someone) down
1 a : to fail to give help or support to (someone who needs or expects it) : ↑disappoint

I promised Mary that I'd help her, and I can't let her down.

It's my fault we lost the game. I let the team down.

He never lets down a friend in need.

— sometimes used figuratively

His judgment let him down. [=his judgment was poor; he made a bad decision]

1 b : to make (someone) unhappy or displeased by not being as good as expected

The end of the story really let me down. = I felt let down by the end of the story. [=the end of the story was disappointing]

— see also ↑letdown
2
◇ To let someone down easy/gently is to give someone unpleasant news in a gentle or kind way.

She tried to let him down gently when she told him he didn't get the job.

I knew I had to fire her, but I was trying to think of a way to let her down easy.

3 let (something) down or let down (something)
3 a : to cause or allow (something) to move down gradually

let a bucket down into a well = let down a bucket into a well

3 b : to make (a skirt, a pair of pants, etc.) longer

The pants were a little too short and needed to be let down a little.

— see also let your hair down at ↑hair
• • •
Main Entry: ↑let

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Synonyms:
,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • let down — {v. phr.} 1. To allow to descend; lower. * /Harry let the chain saw down on a rope and then climbed down himself./ 2. To relax; stop trying so hard; take it easy. * /The horse let down near the end of the race and lost./ * /The team let down in… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • let down — {v. phr.} 1. To allow to descend; lower. * /Harry let the chain saw down on a rope and then climbed down himself./ 2. To relax; stop trying so hard; take it easy. * /The horse let down near the end of the race and lost./ * /The team let down in… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • Let Down — «Let Down» Canción de Radiohead Álbum OK Computer Publicación 16 de junio de 1997 …   Wikipedia Español

  • let-down — let downs also letdown N VAR A let down is a disappointment that you suffer, usually because something has not happened in the way in which you expected it to happen. The flat was really very nice, but compared with what we d been used to, it was …   English dictionary

  • let down — [v] disappoint abandon, depress, disenchant, disillusion, dissatisfy, fail, fall short, leave in lurch*, leave stranded*, lower, pull down, take down; concepts 7,19 Ant. benefit, satisfy …   New thesaurus

  • let down — ► let down fail to support or help. Main Entry: ↑let …   English terms dictionary

  • let|down — «LEHT DOWN», noun, adjective. –n. 1. a slowing up: »Middle age often brings a letdown in vitality. The talked about letdown in copper buying has not yet appeared (Wall Street Journal). 2. a disappointment: »Losing the contest was a big letdown… …   Useful english dictionary

  • let down — index betray (lead astray), disappoint, disappointed, frustrate Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • let down — dau̇n vt to release (formed milk) within the mammary gland or udder …   Medical dictionary

  • let-down — ► NOUN ▪ a disappointment …   English terms dictionary

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