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let down — 3 meanings

One phrase, 3 different jobs. Tap a meaning to jump to it — then lock each one in by saying it out loud.

phrasal verb3 meanings
  1. 1 disappoint someoneTo fail to do what someone expects, making them feel disappointed or upset.
  2. 2 lower somethingTo move something to a lower position, usually slowly and carefully.
  3. 3 reduce effectivenessTo make something less effective, impressive, or successful than it could be, often by being a weak or disappointing aspect of it.
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All meanings, in depth

Ordered by how often you'll hear each one — the meaning tells you what it does, the examples and tips show it in use.

1

disappoint someone

B1let sb downspokenMost common

To fail to do what someone expects, making them feel disappointed or upset.

I promised to help my friend move, but I let her down by not showing up.

A: Did you finish the project on time?
B: No, I let my team down. I feel really bad about it.

In my opinion, it's important not to let your friends down, especially when they rely on you for support.

Common mistake

✗I'm sorry to let down you.

✓I'm sorry to let you down.

With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle — 'let you down', not 'let down you'.

Tell it apart

Don't let me down.

disappoint me

Let the rope down slowly.

lower it
Use 'let someone down' when you don't do what you promised or expected to do.Not the same as 'let someone go', which means to allow someone to leave.

Often paired with

let + down
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2

lower something

B2let sth down

To move something to a lower position, usually slowly and carefully.

He let the rope down slowly so the climber could reach the ground safely.

A: Can you let the blinds down? The sun is too bright.
B: Sure, I'll do it now.

During the experiment, we had to let the equipment down carefully to avoid any damage.

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'.

Tell it apart

She let the bucket down the well.

lowered it

She let her friend down.

disappointed her
Use 'let down' when you are lowering something, not just putting it somewhere.'Let down' is about lowering, while 'put down' is about placing.

Often paired with

let down
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3

reduce effectiveness

C1let down sth sth

To make something less effective, impressive, or successful than it could be, often by being a weak or disappointing aspect of it.

The film was visually stunning, but the weak script really let it down.

A: How was the conference?
B: The keynote speakers were great, but the organisation let the whole event down.

While the research was thorough, the lack of clear conclusions let the paper down and weakened its overall impact.

Common mistake

✗The film was let down for the bad acting.

✓The film was let down by the bad acting.

In the passive, the weak element takes 'by' — 'let down by X'.

Tell it apart

The bland sauce let the dish down.

was the weak point

The waiter let us down.

disappointed us as people
'Let down' in this sense is used to evaluate the quality or effectiveness of something, especially when one part is weaker than the rest. It is common in reviews and critical discussion.Unlike the B1 sense ('let down' = disappoint someone), this sense is about a thing or aspect reducing the overall quality or impact of something, not about disappointing a person directly.

Often paired with

let + down
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disappoint someonelower somethingreduce effectiveness