damp squib

1 9.2

An event that is much less exciting than people expected

noun
/dæmp skwɪb/

: decepción

So I'm sorry if it's coming off rude, but the relentless whining and lamenting about Maliki "centralizing power" seems to be extremely melodramatic and quite the damp squib.

Examples

Now, if there is something, a payoff, some mystery, then it is understandable, but otherwise it is going to be a damp squib.

Blog text (27)
I'm still sad that BoA's big American debut was a bit of a damp squib, and that Se7en's English-language record seems to have stalled.

Blog text (28)
The concert was a damp squib, with only a handful of people showing up to hear the band play.
Many expected the film to be a blockbuster, but it turned out to be a damp squib at the box office.
Despite the hype, the new restaurant was a damp squib, offering unremarkable food and service.

Synonyms

fizzer

vsdamp squib

Archaic

1 8.6

Something that disappoints people after high expectations

is the same idea but stresses an event that underwhelms expectations

wet firecracker

vsdamp squib

Offensive

7.9

A person or thing that should be exciting but is disappointing

is about an event that feels disappointingly weak rather than energetic

Antonyms

success

∞ 1.0

Getting what you want after working hard

hit

465 1.3

Something very popular and successful, like a song or show

How Disappointing

debacle

75 8.5

damp squib

1 9.2

letdown

27 3.4

disappointment

223 1.7

Surface Forms

damp squib singular

damp squibs plural

Morphology

damp + squib

The meaning 'a disappointing event' follows directly from combining 'damp' (making something less intense) with 'squib' (a small explosive/firework that can fizzle); the image of a wet squib failing to go off maps transparently onto something that underperforms. A B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can reasonably infer the idiomatic sense without prior exposure.

Etymology

Damp squib comes from fireworks: a squib is a small firework and if it is damp it will not go off and makes very little bang. So a damp squib became a way to call an event a 'disappointment' or something that is not as exciting as expected.