let down
English
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Audio (General Australian): (file)
Verb
[edit]let down (third-person singular simple present lets down, present participle letting down, simple past and past participle let down)
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see let, down.
- (transitive) To allow to descend.
- They let down the rope and I fastened it to the basket.
- (transitive, idiomatic) To disappoint; to betray or fail somebody.
- I promised him I would meet him there, and I will not let him down.
- 1978, Richard Nixon, “The Presidency 1973-1974”, in RN: the Memoirs of Richard Nixon[1], Grosset & Dunlap, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 1065:
- Just as they left, the younger of the two turned around and said, "Mr. President, I just want you to know that we're praying for you," and quickly closed the door behind him.
I thought about these two men, and about the office workers that afternoon, and about the millions of others like them all across the country who still had faith in me. I knew that by resigning I would let them down.
- 1982, The English Beat (lyrics and music), “Save It for Later”, in Special Beat Service:
- Sooner or later / You hit the deck, you get found out / Save it for later / Don't run away and let me down
- 2023 April 5, “Network News: Conservatives accused of "rewarding Avanti's failure"”, in RAIL, number 980, page 6:
- ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan said: "AWC has continued to cancel services and, every day, continued to let passengers down. But the Government doesn't seem to care.
- (transitive, of clothing) To lengthen by undoing and resewing a hem.
- (intransitive) To reduce one's level of effort.
- To soften in tempering.
- to let down tools or cutlery
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]to allow to descend
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to disappoint
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to lengthen by undoing and resewing
to reduce one's level of effort
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to soften in tempering
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