What is the Meaning of the Phrase ‘A Damp Squib’?

A damp squib is —

• anything that doesn’t work properly;
• anything that disappoints because it doesn’t meet expectations;
• anything that is much less impressive than it was thought to be.

A squib is a small firecracker. You expect it to go off with an explosive sound. But, if it is damp or wet, it won’t explode properly so it would be kind of a disappointment.

So, a damp squib is something that you expect to be interesting or exciting but is in fact ordinary or dull, kind of like an anticlimax.

For example —

“We thought bringing the megastar will help with our product launch but that turned out to be a damp squib.”

It means that even the presence of the megastar couldn’t make the product launch much successful.

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Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.