let

[ let ]

/ lɛt /

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See synonyms for: let / letting on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), let, let·ting.

to allow or permit: If we let him escape, he'll lead us to the boss.

to allow to pass, go, or come:The gap is too narrow to let the car through.

to grant the occupancy or use of (land, buildings, rooms, space, etc., or movable property) for rent or hire (sometimes followed by out): The family lets out their spare room in the summer for extra money.

to contract or assign for performance, usually under a contract: They let work to a local carpenter for the repairs.

to cause to; make: You must let her know the truth of your circumstances if you want to marry her.

(used in the imperative as an auxiliary expressive of a request, command, warning, suggestion, etc.): Let me see. Let us go. Just let them try it!

verb (used without object), let, let·ting.

to be rented or leased: The apartment lets for $250 per week.

noun

British. a lease.

Verb Phrases

let down,

to disappoint; fail.
to betray; desert.
to slacken; abate: We were too near success to let down in our efforts.
to allow to descend slowly; lower.
Aeronautics. (of an airplane) to descend from a higher to a lower altitude preparatory to making an approach and landing or a similar maneuver.

let in,

to admit.
to involve (a person) in something without their knowledge or permission: to let someone in for a loss.
Also let into. to insert into the surface of (a wall or the like) as a permanent addition: to let a plaque into a wall.
Also let in on. to share a secret with; permit to participate in.

let off,

to release by exploding.
to free from duty or responsibility; excuse.
to allow to go with little or no punishment; pardon: The judge let off the youthful offender with a reprimand.

let on,

to reveal one's true feelings: She was terrified at the prospect, but didn't let on.
to pretend: They let on that they didn't care about not being invited, but I could tell that they were hurt.

let out,

to divulge; make known.
to release from confinement, restraint, etc.
to enlarge (a garment).
to terminate; be finished; end: When does the university let out for the summer?
to make (a let-out fur or pelt).

let up,

to slacken; diminish; abate: This heat wave should let up by the end of the week.
to cease; stop: The rain let up for a few hours.

let up on, to treat less severely; be more lenient with: He refused to let up on the boy until his grades improved.

OTHER WORDS FOR let

1 suffer, concede.

3 lease, rent, sublet, hire.

See synonyms for let on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR let

1 prevent.

See antonyms for let on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about let

let alone,

not to mention: He was too tired to walk, let alone run.
Also leave alone . to refrain from annoying or interfering with.

let be,

to refrain from interference.
to refrain from interfering with.

let go. go¹ (def. 95).

let someone have it, Informal. to attack or assault, as by striking, shooting, or rebuking: The gunman threatened to let the teller have it if he didn't move fast.

let well enough alone. alone (def. 8).

Origin of let

First recorded before 900; Middle English leten, Old English lǣtan; cognate with Dutch laten, German lassen, Old Norse lāta, Gothic lētan; akin to Greek lēdeîn “to be weary,” Latin lassus “tired”; see late

usage note for let

Let us is used in all varieties of speech and writing to introduce a suggestion or a request: Let us consider all the facts before deciding. The contracted form let's occurs mostly in informal speech and writing: Let's go. Let's not think about that right now. Perhaps because let's has come to be felt as a word in its own right rather than as the contraction of let us, it is often followed in informal speech and writing by redundant or appositional pronouns: Let's us plan a picnic. Let's you and I (or me ) get together tomorrow. Both Let's you and me and Let's you and I occur in the relaxed speech of educated speakers. The former conforms to the traditional rules of grammar; the latter, nonetheless, occurs more frequently. See also leave¹.

Other definitions for let (2 of 3)

let²

[ let ]

/ lɛt /

noun

(in tennis, badminton, etc.) any play that is voided and must be replayed, especially a service that hits the net and drops into the proper part of the opponent's court.

Chiefly Law. an impediment or obstacle: to act without let or hindrance.

verb (used with object), let·ted or let, let·ting.

Archaic. to hinder, prevent, or obstruct.

Origin of let

First recorded before 900; Middle English verb letten, Old English lettan, derivative of læt “slow, tardy”; cognate with Old Norse letja “to hinder”; noun derivative of the verb; see also late

Other definitions for let (3 of 3)

-let

a diminutive suffix attached to nouns (booklet; piglet; ringlet), and, by extraction from bracelet, a suffix denoting a band, piece of jewelry, or article of clothing worn on the part of the body specified by the noun (anklet; wristlet).

Origin of -let

Middle English -let, -lette<Middle French -elet, equivalent to -el (<Latin -āle, neuter of -ālis-al¹ (cf. bracelet) or <Latin -ellus diminutive suffix; cf. -elle, chaplet) + -et-et

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use let in a sentence

This entire ordeal reeks of bureaucratic overreach being bandied about in the name of “let-us-save-the-children” politics.
The University Of New Orleans’ Cigarette Ban Is Total BS|Chloé Valdary|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Uh, what part of last-team-to-let-Tim-Tebow-go are you not understanding, non-believers?
The Tithe Is High: End the GOP Civil War!|Bill Schulz|January 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The White House just had to scratch it out with a real strategy and a never-let-go attitude.
Memo: The Aaron Sorkin Model of Political Discourse Doesn't Actually Work|Megan McArdle|April 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The jukebox blasts “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” by the 5th Dimension.
Dennis Hopper and the Cult of Nonreaders|Tom Folsom|March 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Beyond that, Wallace spoke openly about his struggles with depression well before we entered the let-it-all-hang-out culture.
Howard Kurtz Remembers Mike Wallace, Legendary CBS Newsman, Dead at 93|Howard Kurtz|April 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Further, why not sub-let the flat to any of your own friends who can afford to give you a few guineas a week for it?
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 152, May 16, 1917.|Various
Mr. O'Connell was, in fact, "a middle man;" he rented extensive lands, and sub-let at a very large profit.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan
Burmans love it, and no feast is complete without it, indeed a packet of let-pet is an invitation to something festive.
Round the Wonderful World|G. E. Mitton
At one place it is let-pet, or pickled tea, though the plant from which the stuff is made is not really a tea-plant.
Round the Wonderful World|G. E. Mitton
All was serene and lovely on the surface, however, with many won't-you-let-me's and please-do-now's on both sides.
The "Genius"|Theodore Dreiser

British Dictionary definitions for let (1 of 3)

let¹

/ (lɛt) /

verb lets, letting or let (tr; usually takes an infinitive without to or an implied infinitive)

to permit; allowshe lets him roam around

(imperative or dependent imperative)

used as an auxiliary to express a request, proposal, or command, or to convey a warning or threatlet's get on; just let me catch you here again!
(in mathematical or philosophical discourse) used as an auxiliary to express an assumption or hypothesislet "a" equal "b"
used as an auxiliary to express resigned acceptance of the inevitablelet the worst happen

to allow the occupation of (accommodation) in return for rent
to assign (a contract for work)

to allow or cause the movement of (something) in a specified directionto let air out of a tyre

Irish informal to utterto let a cry

let alone

(conjunction) much less; not to mentionI can't afford wine, let alone champagne
let be, leave alone or leave be to refrain from annoying or interfering withlet the poor cat alone

let go See go 1 (def. 59)

let loose

to set free
informal to make (a sound or remark) suddenlyhe let loose a hollow laugh
informal to discharge (rounds) from a gun or gunsthey let loose a couple of rounds of ammunition

noun

British the act of letting property or accommodationthe majority of new lets are covered by the rent regulations

Word Origin for let

Old English lǣtan to permit; related to Gothic lētan, German lassen

British Dictionary definitions for let (2 of 3)

let²

/ (lɛt) /

noun

an impediment or obstruction (esp in the phrase without let or hindrance)

tennis squash

a minor infringement or obstruction of the ball, requiring a point to be replayed
the point so replayed

verb lets, letting, letted or let

(tr) archaic to hinder; impede

Word Origin for let

Old English lettan to hinder, from læt late; related to Old Norse letja

British Dictionary definitions for let (3 of 3)

-let

suffix forming nouns

small or lesserbooklet; starlet

an article of attire or ornament worn on a specified part of the bodyanklet

Word Origin for -let

from Old French -elet, from Latin -āle, neuter of adj suffix -ālis or from Latin -ellus, diminutive suffix

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with let

let

In addition to the idioms beginning with let

let alone
let be
let bygones be bygones
let daylight through or into
let down
let down easy
let down one's hair
let drop
let fly
let go
let grass grow
let in on
let it all hang out
let it lay
let it rip
let me see
let off
let off steam
let on
let oneself go
let one's hair down
let out
let ride
let sleeping dogs lie
let slide
let slip
let someone
let someone down
let someone have it
let the cat out of the bag
let the chips fall where they may
let the grass grow under one's feet
let the side down
let up
let well enough alone

also see:

blow (let) off steam
give (let) someone have his or her head
(let someone) have it
live and let live

Also see underleave.

let

OTHER WORDS FOR let

OPPOSITES FOR let

Idioms about let

Origin of let

usage note for let

Other definitions for let (2 of 3)

Origin of let

Other definitions for let (3 of 3)

Origin of -let

Words related to let

How to use let in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for let (1 of 3)

Word Origin for let

British Dictionary definitions for let (2 of 3)

Word Origin for let

British Dictionary definitions for let (3 of 3)

Word Origin for -let

Other Idioms and Phrases with let