let someone down gently
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
Briefly he paused, then, ‘ The next time you see him, while letting him down gently, you will make sure that he knows you don't love him.’
She's a good friend of mine and she likes you a lot, so try to let her down gently.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.
Common questions
What does “let someone down gently” mean?
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Is “let someone down gently” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.