| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | a bitter pill | something hard to accept |
| 2. | a blow to the gut | a painful emotional shock |
| 3. | a body blow | a heavy emotional hit |
| 4. | a cold shower | a sudden discouraging experience |
| 5. | a crushing blow | a devastating setback |
| 6. | a damp squib | something that fails to impress |
| 7. | a false dawn | hope that quickly fades |
| 8. | a hard pill to swallow | a painful truth to accept |
| 9. | a kick in the teeth | a harsh disappointment |
| 10. | a major letdown | a very disappointing outcome |
| 11. | a reality check | a sobering reminder of truth |
| 12. | a rude awakening | a sudden unpleasant realization |
| 13. | a sad excuse | a poor, disappointing attempt |
| 14. | a slap in the face | an insulting disappointment |
| 15. | a sorry state of affairs | a disappointing situation |
| 16. | back out | withdraw, disappointing others |
| 17. | back to reality | return to unpleasant truth |
| 18. | back to square one | return to the start |
| 19. | back to the drawing board | start over after failure |
| 20. | be a wet blanket | spoil the mood |
| 21. | be left out in the cold | be excluded or neglected |
| 22. | burst someone’s bubble | ruin someone’s optimism |
| 23. | call it off | cancel plans, causing disappointment |
| 24. | come back down to earth | lose unrealistic expectations |
| 25. | come crashing down | fail suddenly and badly |
| 26. | come to nothing | end without results |
| 27. | come up short | fail to reach expectations |
| 28. | dash someone’s hopes | destroy someone’s hopes |
| 29. | down in the dumps | feeling very low |
| 30. | draw a blank | find nothing or fail |
| 31. | draw the short straw | be stuck with the worst task |
| 32. | end in tears | finish badly |
| 33. | end up empty-handed | get nothing in the end |
| 34. | fall flat | fail to have impact |
| 35. | fall on deaf ears | be ignored, causing disappointment |
| 36. | fall short | fail to meet expectations |
| 37. | get cold feet | lose courage at the last minute |
| 38. | get the cold shoulder | be treated with indifference |
| 39. | give up the ghost | stop working or functioning |
| 40. | go belly up | fail completely |
| 41. | go bust | fail financially |
| 42. | go down like a lead balloon | be received very badly |
| 43. | go pear-shaped | go wrong |
| 44. | go under | fail or collapse |
| 45. | go up in smoke | be ruined or lost |
| 46. | hangdog look | a disappointed, guilty expression |
| 47. | have second thoughts | begin to doubt a decision |
| 48. | hit a dead end | reach a point of no progress |
| 49. | hit rock bottom | reach the worst point |
| 50. | kick someone when down | hurt someone already upset |
| 51. | leave a bad taste | cause lingering disappointment |
| 52. | leave one cold | fail to excite or impress |
| 53. | left high and dry | abandoned without help |
| 54. | left holding the bag | stuck with blame or loss |
| 55. | left in the lurch | abandoned at a critical time |
| 56. | let someone down | disappoint someone |
| 57. | long face | a sad, disappointed look |
| 58. | lose faith | stop believing in someone |
| 59. | lose heart | become discouraged |
| 60. | lose hope | stop expecting success |
| 61. | meet with a cold reception | be received without enthusiasm |
| 62. | miss one’s chance | lose an opportunity |
| 63. | miss the mark | fail to achieve the aim |
| 64. | more bark than bite | less effective than expected |
| 65. | much ado about nothing | fuss over something disappointing |
| 66. | not cut it | be inadequate |
| 67. | not make the grade | fail to meet standards |
| 68. | not up to scratch | not good enough |
| 69. | pour cold water on | discourage enthusiasm |
| 70. | put a damper on | reduce enjoyment |
| 71. | put paid to | end hopes or plans |
| 72. | rain on someone’s parade | spoil someone’s happiness |
| 73. | rub salt in the wound | make disappointment more painful |
| 74. | run into a brick wall | meet an obstacle and fail |
| 75. | smoke and mirrors | deceptive show hiding failure |
| 76. | spoil the fun | ruin enjoyment |
| 77. | take a nosedive | drop suddenly and badly |
| 78. | take a turn for the worse | become worse |
| 79. | take the gloss off | make something less appealing |
| 80. | take the shine off | reduce excitement or pride |
| 81. | take the wind out of | remove enthusiasm or hope |
| 82. | the bloom is off the rose | the excitement has faded |
| 83. | the honeymoon is over | initial joy has ended |
| 84. | the last straw | final disappointment that breaks patience |
| 85. | the party’s over | good times have ended |
| 86. | the shine has worn off | novelty has faded |
| 87. | throw in the towel | give up |
| 88. | twist the knife | make hurt even worse |
| 89. | under a cloud | in disgrace; feeling downcast |
| 90. | up the creek | in trouble; let down |
| 91. | upset the apple cart | ruin plans; cause disappointment |
| 92. | vanish into thin air | disappear suddenly; leave disappointed |
| 93. | wash one’s hands of it | give up; stop trying |
| 94. | watered-down | weakened; less satisfying than expected |
| 95. | wear a long face | look sad and disappointed |
| 96. | what a letdown | something is very disappointing |
| 97. | with a heavy heart | feeling sad and disappointed |
| 98. | worse luck | unfortunate; expressing disappointment |
| 99. | yanked out from under | suddenly deprived; left disappointed |
| 100. | your heart sinks | suddenly feel disappointed |