laid
Americanverb
verb
Other Word Forms
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How does laid compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Laid means "set down." If you built a brick wall, and then when it's done your neighbor complains that the wall crosses onto his property, tell him, "too late! The brick has already been laid." Laid is the past participle of the verb, lay, which means set down. So something that has been laid has already been set down. You might scramble up the eggs the chickens laid yesterday. Before your guests come over, your table should have been laid. Or you might examine the foundations that the builder laid down for the house you're building. We often use laid if we want to emphasize how carefully something has been done.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She also laid out the SNP's manifesto pledges which she claimed would "pivot public services to better help families".
From BBC • May 24, 2026
I am unlikely to deviate from a system when I see things laid out in front of me.
From Slate • May 24, 2026
Vargas became a full-time gaming-content creator after being laid off from a role at Warby Parker last year.
From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026
The Declaration thus laid a lasting foundation before taking on a life of its own.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
He unslung his quiver and bow and laid them against the tree.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
