let

[ let ]

/ lɛt /

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

to allow or permit: to let him escape.

to allow to pass, go, or come: to let us through.

to grant the occupancy or use of (land, buildings, rooms, space, etc., or movable property) for rent or hire (sometimes followed by out).

to contract or assign for performance, usually under a contract: to let work to a carpenter.

to cause to; make: to let one know the truth.

(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 admit of being rented or leased: The apartment lets for $100 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 without his or her 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.

Nearby words

Idioms

let alone. alone(def 8).

let be,

to refrain from interference.
to refrain from interfering with.

let go. go¹(def 93).

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.

Origin of let

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

SYNONYMS FOR let

1 suffer, grant.

3 lease, rent, sublet, hire.

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ANTONYMS FOR let

1 prevent.

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Synonym study

1. See allow.

Usage note

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for let on (1 of 3)

let on

verb (adverb; when tr, takes a clause as object) informal

to allow (something, such as a secret) to be known; revealhe never let on that he was married

(tr) to cause or encourage to be believed; pretend

British Dictionary definitions for let on (2 of 3)

let

/ (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 on (3 of 3)

let

/ (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

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

Word Origin and History for let on (1 of 2)

let

Old English lætan "to allow to remain; let go, leave, depart from; leave undone; to allow; bequeath," also "to rent" (class VII strong verb; past tense let, past participle læten), from Proto-Germanic *letan (cf. Old Saxon latan, Old Frisian leta, Dutch laten, German lassen, Gothic letan "to leave, let"), from PIE *le- "to let go, slacken" (cf. Latin lassus "faint, weary," Lithuanian leisti "to let, to let loose;" see lenient). If that derivation is correct, the primary sense would be "let go through weariness, neglect."

Of blood, from late Old English. To let (something) slip originally (1520s) was a reference to hounds on a leash; figurative use from 1540s. To let (someone) off "allow to go unpunished" is from 1814. To let on "reveal, divulge" is from 1725; to let up "cease, stop" is from 1787. Let alone "not to mention" is from 1812.

Word Origin and History for let on (1 of 2)

let

"stoppage, obstruction" (obsolete unless in legal contracts), late 12c., from archaic verb letten "to hinder," from Old English lettan "hinder, delay," from Proto-Germanic *latjanan (cf. Old Saxon lettian "to hinder," Old Norse letja "to hold back," Old High German lezzen "to stop, check," Gothic latjan "to hinder, make late," Old English læt "sluggish, slow, late"); see late.

Idioms and Phrases with let on (1 of 2)

let on

Reveal one's true feelings or a fact, allow something to be known, as in Don't let on that you met her before. This usage is probably a shortening of let it on someone. [c. 1700]

Pretend, as in He let on that he was very angry, but in fact he didn't care a bit. [First half of 1800s] Also see let in on.

Idioms and Phrases with let on (2 of 2)

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

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

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

noun

Verb Phrases

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of let

Synonym study

Usage note

British Dictionary definitions for let on (1 of 3)

let on

verb (adverb; when tr, takes a clause as object) informal

British Dictionary definitions for let on (2 of 3)

let

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

noun

Word Origin for let

British Dictionary definitions for let on (3 of 3)

let

noun

verb lets, letting, letted or let

Word Origin for let

Word Origin and History for let on (1 of 2)

let

Word Origin and History for let on (1 of 2)

let

Idioms and Phrases with let on (1 of 2)

let on

Idioms and Phrases with let on (2 of 2)

let