letdown

/ˈlet.daʊn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlet.daʊn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlet-ˌdau̇n/ (ame, mw)

1.名詞B2

釋義

失望；掃興

期望落空後的失落感

a feeling of sadness or dissatisfaction that comes after you had hoped or expected something would be better, more exciting, or more successful than it turned out to be.

例句

After months of buildup, the new superhero film was a real letdown for Kian and his friends.

鋪陳了好幾個月之後，那部新的超級英雄電影對 Kian 和他的朋友來說真的很令人失望。

common pattern: be + a (real/big/huge) letdown

Getting last place in the swimming final was a huge letdown for Heloísa after all her training.

在游泳決賽中拿到最後一名，對於苦練許久的 Heloísa 來說是個很大的打擊。

common collocation: a huge letdown

同義詞

disappointment
more neutral and general; works in formal writing where 'letdown' would feel too casual.
anticlimax
stresses that something exciting was expected but the result felt flat or boring, not just disappointing.
disillusionment
stronger and more lasting; the speaker loses belief in something, not just feels sad once.

反義詞

thrill
an exciting, positive surprise — the opposite reaction to a letdown.
highlight
the best moment of an event, the part that meets or beats expectations.

文法句型

a + letdown

be + a letdown (to someone)

用法筆記

Almost always appears in the singular with an indefinite article (`a letdown`) and a `be`-verb. Often softened (`a bit of a letdown`) or intensified (`a real / huge / big / total letdown`); the bare plural `letdowns` is rare.

常見錯誤

❌I felt very letdown.

✅It was a real letdown for me.

💡'letdown' is a noun, not an adjective; use 'let down' (two words) as the past-participle adjective and 'a letdown' as the noun.

letdownpresent simple I / you / we / they
letdowns3rd person singular
letdowning-ing form
letdownedpast simple

1.動詞及物B2

釋義

辜負；失望

未能滿足他人期待或依賴

to make a person feel sad, upset, or unsupported by failing to do what they were hoping or relying on you to do.

例句

Liam promised to help with the move, so please don't let him down on Saturday morning.

Liam 答應要幫忙搬家，所以星期六早上請別讓他失望。

pattern: let + pronoun + down (separable)

The midfielder felt she had let down the whole team by missing such an easy penalty.

那位中場球員覺得自己錯失了那麼簡單的一球點球，辜負了整支球隊。

common context: let down + group (team, family, fans)

同義詞

disappoint
more formal and direct; works in writing where 'let down' feels too conversational.
fail
stronger — implies you did not meet a duty or promise; 'let down' adds a personal, emotional dimension.
betray
much stronger; suggests broken trust on purpose, not just an unmet expectation.

反義詞

support
do what someone needs you to do, the direct opposite of letting them down.
come through
deliver on a promise, especially in a difficult moment.

文法句型

let + someone + down

let down + someone

用法筆記

Almost always separated: 'let + [object] + down' is the natural order, especially with pronoun objects ('let me down', 'let her down'). Frequently used in the passive ('feel let down', 'be let down by'). Distinguish from sense 2 (which lowers a physical object) and sense 3 (which slowly releases air, liquid, or pressure).

常見錯誤

❌Please don't disappoint down me.

✅Please don't let me down.

💡'let down' is a fixed phrasal verb; do not combine it with 'disappoint'.

❌He let down me again.

✅He let me down again.

💡with a pronoun object, you must put the pronoun between 'let' and 'down'.

2.動詞及物B2

釋義

緩緩放下

用繩或手把物體往下移

to slowly move a physical object from a higher position to a lower one, usually with a rope, a chain, or by hand, so that it does not fall or get damaged.

例句

The sailors carefully let down the small boat over the side of the ship using thick ropes.

水手們用粗繩小心地把小艇從船舷邊緩緩放下。

pattern: let down + heavy object + via instrument (rope/chain)

Andrei stood on the ladder and let the heavy chandelier down very slowly to the workbench.

Andrei 站在梯子上，把那盞沉重的吊燈非常緩慢地放下到工作臺上。

separable: let + object + down

同義詞

lower
more general; works for both physical and abstract things (lower the volume, lower a flag).
drop
implies less control; you can drop something on purpose, but it suggests a sudden release.

反義詞

raise
the direct opposite: move an object from a lower to a higher position.
haul up
pull something up using a rope or chain — the reverse action.

文法句型

let + something + down

let down + something

用法筆記

Always takes a physical object as the thing being lowered. Often paired with adverbs of care: 'slowly', 'carefully', 'gently', 'inch by inch'. Distinguish from sense 1 (which is about disappointing a person) and from sense 3 (which is about releasing air from a tyre or balloon).

常見錯誤

❌They let down the prices.

✅They lowered the prices.

💡'let down' for lowering applies to physical objects, not abstract things like prices or standards.

3.動詞及物B2

釋義

放氣；消氣

把輪胎或氣球的氣放掉

to release the air from a tyre, balloon, or other inflated object so that it becomes flat, either on purpose or by mistake.

例句

Some teenagers had let down the tyres on every car parked along Lower Brook Street overnight.

有些青少年在夜裡把停在 Lower Brook Street 沿路每一台車的輪胎都放了氣。

common context: vandalism — let down + tyres

Christopher accidentally let the air bed down by leaning on the valve while he was sleeping.

Christopher 睡覺時壓到氣閥，不小心把充氣床的氣放掉了。

pattern: let + object + down

同義詞

deflate
more formal and technical; the standard verb in instructions and writing.
let the air out of
the most common American equivalent; explicit about what is happening.

反義詞

inflate
pump air into something — the direct opposite.
pump up
informal equivalent of inflate, common for tyres and balls.

文法句型

let + something + down

let down + something

用法筆記

Mostly British English; American speakers typically say 'let the air out of' or 'deflate'. The object is almost always something that holds air (tyre, balloon, air bed, inflatable). Distinguish from sense 1 (disappointing a person) and sense 2 (lowering a physical object).

常見錯誤

❌The balloon let down by itself.

✅The balloon went down by itself.' or 'The balloon deflated.

💡when the air leaves on its own, use 'go down' or 'deflate'; 'let down' needs someone to do it.

letdown

letdown — 名詞

1. a feeling of sadness or dissatisfaction that comes after you had hoped or expect

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

letdown — 動詞

1. to make a person feel sad, upset, or unsupported by failing to do what they were

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

2. to slowly move a physical object from a higher position to a lower one, usually

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

3. to release the air from a tyre, balloon, or other inflated object so that it bec

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤