let down — lower something
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutraloccasional
To move something to a lower position, usually slowly and carefully.
Say it like a native
Textbook She gradually lowered the rope into the well.
Native She let the rope down slowly.
'Let down' is the natural verb for lowering something on a line or by hand. 'Gradually lowered' is flatter.
Pattern: let sth down
In use
- He let the rope down slowly so the climber could reach the ground safely.daily life
- During the experiment, we had to let the equipment down carefully to avoid any damage.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Let down it gently.
✓ Let it down gently.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle — 'let it down', not 'let down it'.
Common collocations
let down— the rope, the hem, the blinds, the ladder
Don't confuse it
'Let down' is about lowering, while 'put down' is about placing.
Related
- let down (disappoint someone) — Another meaning of 'let down' is 'disappoint someone'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.