lay aside
Britishverb
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to abandon or reject
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to store or reserve for future use
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Give up, abandon, as in He laid aside all hopes of winning first prize . [First half of 1400s]
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Also, lay away ; lay by . Set apart for a reason, save for the future, as in They lay aside enough to pay the rent , or Because coffee prices were rising, she laid by enough for a month , or The store laid away the winter coat I wanted . [Early 1700s] The first variant gave rise, about 1970, to the term layaway plan , in which merchandise is laid away for a buyer who pays a deposit and receives it when payment is made in full. Also see lay down , def. 4; set aside .
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.
But of course everything is only temporary, including the good health I felt sure would enable me to lay aside the cane when my back was better.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025
He could lay aside speculation that negligence — a stove in the kitchen, faulty wiring — caused the fire.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2023
"I think it is incumbent on the leaders of the country to lay aside their differences and create an environment where their people can flourish."
From BBC • Feb. 4, 2023
“But we do not ask them to lay aside their citizenry and give up the very rights they have sworn to protect.”
From New York Times • Mar. 25, 2022
We are going to have to lay aside our differences and work together.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
