Phrase guide

damp squib

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A firework that has been wet and therefore fails to go off correctly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: literally

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: fuser — firework that fails to go off, due to wetting
  • Dutch: sisser — firework that fails to go off, due to wetting
  • Finnish: suutari — firework that fails to go off, due to wetting
  • French: pétard mouillé — firework that fails to go off, due to wetting
  • German: Blindgänger — firework that fails to go off, due to wetting
  • German: Versager — firework that fails to go off, due to wetting
  • Irish: urchar iomrallach — firework that fails to go off, due to wetting
  • Finnish: suutari — anything that doesn’t work properly
  • French: pétard mouillé — anything that doesn’t work properly
  • German: Schuss in den Ofen — anything that doesn’t work properly
  • German: Reinfall — anything that doesn’t work properly
  • German: Schlag ins Wasser — anything that doesn’t work properly
  • German: Rohrkrepierer — anything that doesn’t work properly
  • Polish: niewypał — anything that doesn’t work properly