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

Related Words

• anticlimax
• comedown
• setback