let down

Formslets down, letting down, let down

1. 1
   disappoint someonephrasal verbidiomatictransitive

   To disappoint someone by not doing what they hoped or trusted you to do.

   Please come on time and don't let the team down.

   She felt let down when her best friend forgot her birthday.

   Similardisappoint, fail, betray

   Note
2. 2
   disappointing thingnoun · let-downcountable

   Something that is not as good as you hoped.

   The new game was a big let-down after all the hype.

   Our day at the beach was a let-down because it rained the whole time.

   Similardisappointment, anticlimax, comedown

   Note
3. 3
   lowerphrasal verbtransitive

   To allow something to go down, or to lower it.

   They let down a bucket into the well.

   Can you let the ladder down to me?

   Similarlower

   Oppositeraise, hoist

4. 4
   make clothes longerphrasal verbtransitive

   To make clothes longer by opening the bottom edge and sewing it again.

   Mom let down my pants because I grew so much over the summer.

   The skirt is too short now, so I'll have it let down.

   Similarlengthen

   Oppositeshorten

5. 5
   milk flownoun · let-downcountable or uncountable

   The moment milk starts to flow from a mother's breast or a cow's udder.

   Some new mothers feel a tingling when the let-down starts.

   A warm cloth on the breast can help with let-down.

   Note
6. 6
   ease offphrasal verbintransitive

   To stop trying as hard as before.

   Once the hard part was over, he let down and made careless mistakes.

   The team let down in the second half and lost the lead.

   Similarslacken, relax, coast

7. 7
   thin (cooking)phrasal verbtransitive

   To make a sauce or soup thinner by adding some liquid.

   If the soup gets too thick, let it down with some water.

   Let down the gravy with a splash of milk.

   Similarthin, dilute, loosen

   Oppositethicken

   Note
8. 8
   soften metalphrasal verbtransitive

   To make a hard metal tool or knife softer by treating it with heat.

   The blacksmith let down the chisel so it would not break.

   Heat the blade slowly to let it down a little.

   Similartemper, soften

   Oppositeharden

9. 9
   plane descentnoun · let-downcountable or uncountable

   Permission for a plane to fly down through clouds into clear air below.

   The tower gave the pilot a let-down, and the plane dropped below the clouds.

   The pilot asked for a let-down because she could not see the ground.

   Note

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