let down

décevoir, laisser tomber

Décevoir quelqu'un en ne faisant pas ce qu'il espérait ou attendait.

En anglais simple : To disappoint someone by failing to do what they hoped or expected.

• Please do not let me down.
• He let the team down by arriving late.
• Have we ever let you down before?

Comment l'utiliser : let someone down (I am sorry I let you down.)

Synonymes : disappoint, fail

Expressions courantes : let someone down, let the team down

descendre, laisser descendre

Permettre à quelqu'un ou à quelque chose de descendre à une position plus basse.

En anglais simple : To allow someone or something to move to a lower position.

• Let down the ladder, please.
• She let her hair down before washing it.
• They let the bucket down into the well.

Comment l'utiliser : let something down (She let the basket down on a rope.)

Synonymes : lower

Contraires : raise

Expressions courantes : let down a rope, let down your hair, let down a bucket

rallonger

Rendre un vêtement plus long en défaisant son ourlet et en le recousant plus bas.

En anglais simple : To make clothing longer by opening and sewing its folded lower edge again.

• Can you let down this skirt?
• She let the trousers down as her son grew.
• There is enough cloth to let the hem down.

Comment l'utiliser : let something down (The tailor let the skirt down.)

Synonymes : lengthen

Contraires : take up, shorten

Expressions courantes : let down trousers, let down a skirt, let down the hem

relâcher ses efforts

Travailler moins dur ou faire moins d'efforts qu'avant.

En anglais simple : To work less hard or stop trying as hard as before.

• Do not let down before the finish.
• The team let down once they were ahead.
• We cannot afford to let down during the final week.

Synonymes : ease off, slacken

Expressions courantes : let down slightly, let down halfway

revenir

Chauffer un métal durci pour diminuer sa dureté et le rendre moins cassant.

En anglais simple : To heat hardened metal so that it becomes less hard and breaks less easily.

• Heat can let down hardened steel.
• The smith let the blade down after hardening it.
• These tools must be let down to reduce their brittleness.

Comment l'utiliser : let something down (The smith let the hardened steel down.)

Synonymes : temper

Contraires : harden

Expressions courantes : let down steel, let down tools

diluer

Rendre un liquide épais plus fluide, généralement en y ajoutant un autre liquide.

En anglais simple : To make a thick liquid thinner, usually by adding another liquid.

• You can let down this paint.
• She let the varnish down with a suitable solvent.
• The mixture needs letting down before we spray it.

Comment l'utiliser : let something down with something (Let the paint down with a little water.)

Synonymes : thin, dilute

Contraires : thicken

Expressions courantes : let down paint, let down varnish