let down

See also: let-down and letdown

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Verb

let down (third-person singular simple present lets down, present participle letting down, simple past and past participle let down)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see let,‎ down.
2. (transitive) To allow to descend.

   They let down the rope and I fastened it to the basket.

3. (transitive, idiomatic) To disappoint; to betray or fail somebody

   I promised him I would meet him there, and I will not let him down.

4. (transitive, of clothing) To lengthen by undoing and resewing a hem.
5. (intransitive) To reduce one's level of effort.
6. To soften in tempering.

   to let down tools or cutlery

Derived terms

• let one's hair down
• let someone down gently

Related terms

• let-down (noun) and letdown

Translations

• Arabic: أَنْزَلَ (ʔanzala)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 放下 (zh) (fàngxià), 低下 (zh) (dīxià), 降低 (zh) (jiàngdī)

• Czech: spouštět (cs), spustit
• Dutch: neerlaten (nl)
• Finnish: laskea (fi)
• French: baisser (fr), abaisser (fr), faire descendre, descendre (fr)
• German: herunterlassen (de), hinunterlassen, herablassen (de) (elevated), herniederlassen (archaic)
• Gothic: 𐌰𐍄𐌷𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽 (athāhan)
• Greek:

  Ancient: χαλάω (khaláō)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Irish: scaoil anuas
• Italian: abbassare (it)
• Japanese: 下げる (ja) (さげる, sageru), 下ろす (ja) (おろす, orosu)
• Latin: summittō
• Plautdietsch: raufloten
• Polish: opuszczać (pl), opuścić (pl)
• Portuguese: baixar (pt)
• Russian: опуска́ть (ru) impf (opuskátʹ), опусти́ть (ru) pf (opustítʹ), спуска́ть (ru) impf (spuskátʹ), спусти́ть (ru) pf (spustítʹ)
• Spanish: bajar (es)
• Telugu: జార్చు (jārcu)

to disappoint

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 辜負／辜负 (zh) (gūfù), 辜负 (zh) (gūfù, gūfu), 對不起／对不起 (zh) (duìbùqǐ), 对不起 (zh) (duìbùqǐ)

• Dutch: teleurstellen (nl)
• Finnish: pettää (fi), hylätä (fi)
• French: laisser tomber (fr)
• German: im Stich lassen (de), enttäuschen (de), hängen lassen, hängenlassen
• Hungarian: átejt (hu), becsap (hu), cserben hagy (hu)
• Italian: deludere (it), scontentare (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 失望させる (ja) (しつぼうさせる, shitsubō saseru)
• Polish: zawieść (pl), rozczarować (pl)
• Portuguese: decepcionar (pt), desapontar (pt)
• Russian: подводи́ть (ru) impf (podvodítʹ), подвести́ (ru) pf (podvestí), разочаро́вывать (ru) impf (razočaróvyvatʹ), разочарова́ть (ru) pf (razočarovátʹ)
• Spanish: decepcionar (es), fallar (es)
• Swedish: svika (sv), lämna i sticket (sv)
• Turkish: hayal kırıklığına uğratmak

to lengthen by undoing and resewing

• Finnish: pidentää (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Spanish: alargar (es)

to reduce one's level of effort

• Finnish: antaa periksi (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

to soften in tempering

• Finnish: temperoida
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}