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.
Not sure when the object goes in the middle? Read separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.
turn up
appear
He didn’t turn up for the meeting, leaving everyone confused.
He didn’t appear for the meeting, leaving everyone confused.
Arriving. Turn the radio up is a separate, separable verb.
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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
use time or space
The boxes take up too much space in the room.
The boxes occupy too much space in the room.
Take up an offer means accept it. Take up a hobby means start it.
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hear from
receive a message from someone
Did you hear from him after the interview?
Did you receive a message 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 for
compensate for a mistake
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
become calmer
Please calm down before we discuss this.
Please become calmer before we discuss this.
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cut down (on)
consume less
You should cut down on sweets.
You should eat fewer sweets.
For consumption, use cut down on sugar or cut down on it. Cut down can stand alone; cut something down is also a separable construction.
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cheer up
make someone feel happier
A little sunshine might cheer you up after a bad day.
A little sunshine might make you feel happier after a bad day.
Here sunshine cheers someone up: makes that person happier. Cheer up also works without an object: she cheered up.
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All 10 disappointed phrasal verbs at a glance
Separable means the object can sit in the middle, and a pronoun has to. Inseparable means it never can. No object means the verb does not take one. Full explanation here.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| turn up | appear | No object |
| turn down | refuse | Separable |
| let down | disappoint | Separable |
| take up | use time or space | Separable |
| hear from | receive a message from someone | Inseparable |
| make up | invent | Separable |
| make up for | compensate for a mistake | Inseparable |
| calm down | become calmer | No object |
| cut down (on) | consume less | Pattern varies |
| cheer up | make someone feel happier | Separable |
About this set
The set mixes feelings (let down, cheer up) with the moments behind them, like an offer you turn down or a reply you never hear.
The pack includes make up meaning invent and make up for meaning compensate. The extra preposition changes the construction.
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).
Mistakes to avoid
Incorrect: They turned down him for the job.
Correct: They turned him down for the job.
Turn down is separable and a pronoun cannot follow the particle.
Incorrect: He tried to make up for it his mistake.
Correct: He tried to make up for his mistake.
In make up for, the object follows for: his mistake or it, not both. Make up lost time is also grammatical when it means replace time that was lost.
Incorrect: She let down me again.
Correct: She let me down again.
Let down is separable, and with a pronoun the split is compulsory.
Incorrect: I have not heard him for weeks.
Correct: I have not heard from him for weeks.
Hear from means receive news. Dropping the from changes the meaning completely.
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.
What is the difference between make up and make up for in this pack?
Make up a story means invent it. Make up for a mistake means compensate for it. Make up can also mean become friends again, but that is a separate sense taught in the Make pack.