ENGLISH
REFERENCE

damp squib

idiom
Meaning

Anything that does not work properly, or fails to come up to expectations; a dud.


Examples
SIMPLE

The expensive new movie was a total damp squib.

CONTEXTUAL

Everyone expected the grand opening to be exciting, but it turned out to be a damp squib.

COMPLEX

Despite the massive marketing campaign and high expectations, the product launch proved to be a damp squib that failed to capture the public imagination.

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