Learn English Phrasal Verbs:Disappointed
Use these verbs when a plan falls through, someone does not reply, or you need to talk about a letdown without sounding stiff.
turn up
appear
He didn’t turn up for the meeting, leaving everyone confused.
He didn’t appear for the meeting, leaving everyone confused.
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turn down
refuse
She had to turn down the job offer due to its location.
She had to refuse the job offer due to its location.
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let down
disappoint
Jane missing the party really let me down.
Jane missing the party really disappointed me.
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take up
occupy
The boxes take up too much space in the room.
The boxes occupy too much space in the room.
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hear from
have news
Did you hear from him after the interview?
Did you have news from him after the interview?
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make up
invent
She tried to make up a story to explain her absence.
She tried to invent a story to explain her absence.
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make up
compensate
He offered to make up for being late by buying me lunch.
He offered to compensate for being late by buying me lunch.
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calm down
stop feeling angry
Please calm down, everything will be fine.
Please stop feeling angry, everything will be fine.
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cut down (on)
reduce
You should cut down on sweets if you want to stay healthy.
You should reduce sweets if you want to stay healthy.
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cheer up
stop feeling upset
A little sunshine might cheer you up after a bad day.
A little sunshine might stop you from feeling upset after a bad day.
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About this set
The set mixes feelings (let down, cheer up) with the events that cause them (turn down, take up).
Make up appears twice on purpose: one meaning is invent, the other is become friends again.
Usage notes
- let down. Separable. You let someone down when you disappoint them. Let them down, not let down them.
- turn down. Separable. Turn down an invitation means refuse it. The same verb can mean lower the volume in other contexts.
- cut down (on). Cut down on sugar is the usual pattern. Cut down sugar is also heard, but on is safer after cut down.
- cheer up. Can be intransitive (cheer up!) or separable (cheer her up).
Common questions
Is let down the same as turn down?
No. Turn down is a refusal (an offer or invitation). Let down is the feeling when someone fails you. You can turn down a plan and still not let anyone down if you say so early.
Which make up should I use after an argument?
Make up meaning become friends again: they made up after the row. The other make up in this set means invent an excuse. The object or the rest of the sentence tells you which one it is.