let¹

(lĕt)

v. let, let·ting, lets

v.tr.

1. To give permission or opportunity to; allow: I let them borrow the car. The inheritance let us finally buy a house. See Usage Note at leave¹.

2. To cause to; make: Let the news be known.

a. Used as an auxiliary in the imperative to express a command, request, or proposal: Let's finish the job! Let x equal y.

b. Used as an auxiliary in the imperative to express a warning or threat: Just let her try!

4. To permit to enter, proceed, or depart: let the dog in.

5. To release from or as if from confinement: let the air out of the balloon; let out a yelp.

6. To rent or lease: let rooms.

7. To award, especially after bids have been submitted: let the construction job to a new firm.

v.intr.

1. To become rented or leased.

2. To be or become assigned, as to a contractor.

Phrasal Verbs:

let down

1. To cause to come down gradually; lower: let down the sails.

2. To withdraw support from; forsake.

3. To fail to meet the expectations of; disappoint.

let on

1. To allow to be known; admit: Don't let on that you know me.

2. To pretend.

let out

1. To come to a close; end: School let out early. The play let out at 10:30.

2. To make known; reveal: Who let that story out?

3. To increase the size of (a garment, for example): let out a coat.

let up

1. To slow down; diminish: didn't let up in their efforts.

2. To become less severe or intense: The rain let up.

Idioms:

let alone

Not to mention; much less: "Their ancestors had been dirt poor and never saw royalty, let alone hung around with them" (Garrison Keillor).

let go

To cease to employ; dismiss: had to let 20 workers go.

let off on Informal

To cause to diminish, as in pressure; ease up on: Let off on the gas so that we do not exceed the speed limit.

let (one's) hair down

To drop one's reserve or inhibitions.

let (someone) have it Informal

1. To beat, strike, or shoot at someone.

2. To scold or punish.

let (someone) in on

1. To reveal (a secret) to someone: They finally let me in on their plans.

2. To allow someone to participate in (something).

let up on

To be or become more lenient with: Why don't you let up on the poor child?

[Middle English leten, from Old English lǣtan; see lē- in Indo-European roots.]

let²

(lĕt)

1. Something that hinders; an obstacle: free to investigate without let or hindrance.

2. Sports An invalid stroke in tennis and other net games that requires a replay.

tr.v. let·ted or let, let·ting, lets Archaic

To hinder or obstruct.

[Middle English lette, from letten, to hinder, from Old English lettan; see lē- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

let out

vb (adverb, mainly tr)

1. to give vent to; emit: to let out a howl.

2. to allow to go or run free; release

3. (may take a clause as object) to reveal (a secret)

4. to make available to tenants, hirers, or contractors

5. to permit to flow out: to let air out of the tyres.

6. (Knitting & Sewing) to make (a garment) larger, as by unpicking (the seams) and sewing nearer the outer edge

a chance to escape

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Verb	1.	let out - express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words); "She let out a big heavy sigh"; "He uttered strange sounds that nobody could understand" let loose, utter, emit call - utter in a loud voice or announce; "He called my name"; "The auctioneer called the bids" gibber - chatter inarticulately; of monkeys crow - express pleasure verbally; "She crowed with joy" crow - utter shrill sounds; "The cocks crowed all morning" trumpet - utter in trumpet-like sounds; "Elephants are trumpeting" coo - cry softly, as of pigeons cry, scream, shout out, yell, squall, shout, holler, hollo, call - utter a sudden loud cry; "she cried with pain when the doctor inserted the needle"; "I yelled to her from the window but she couldn't hear me" miaou, miaow - make a cat-like sound tsk, tut, tut-tut - utter `tsk,' `tut,' or `tut-tut,' as in disapproval echo, repeat - to say again or imitate; "followers echoing the cries of their leaders" call - utter a characteristic note or cry; "bluejays called to one another" shoot - utter fast and forcefully; "She shot back an answer" gurgle - utter with a gurgling sound; "`Help,' the stabbing victim gurgled" cry - utter a characteristic sound; "The cat was crying" nasale - speak in a nasal voice; "`Come here,' he nasaled" bite out - utter; "She bit out a curse" sigh - utter with a sigh troat - emit a cry intended to attract other animals; used especially of animals at rutting time lift - make audible; "He lifted a war whoop" pant - utter while panting, as if out of breath volley - utter rapidly; "volley a string of curses" break into - express or utter spontaneously; "break into a yodel"; "break into a song"; "break into tears" heave - utter a sound, as with obvious effort; "She heaved a deep sigh when she saw the list of things to do" chorus - utter in unison; "`yes,' the children chorused" splutter, sputter - utter with a spitting sound, as if in a rage deliver - utter (an exclamation, noise, etc.); "The students delivered a cry of joy" hoot - to utter a loud clamorous shout; "the toughs and blades of the city hoot and bang their drums, drink arak, play dice, and dance" grunt - issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise; "He grunted his reluctant approval" wolf-whistle - whistle or howl approvingly at a female, of males snort - indicate contempt by breathing noisily and forcefully through the nose; "she snorted her disapproval of the proposed bridegroom" spit, spit out - utter with anger or contempt groan, moan - indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure; "The students groaned when the professor got out the exam booklets"; "The ancient door soughed when opened" growl, rumble, grumble - to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds; "he grumbled a rude response"; "Stones grumbled down the cliff" wrawl, yammer, yowl, howl - cry loudly, as of animals; "The coyotes were howling in the desert" bark - make barking sounds; "The dogs barked at the stranger" baa, blat, blate, bleat - cry plaintively; "The lambs were bleating" bellow, roar - make a loud noise, as of animal; "The bull bellowed" cheep, chirp, chirrup, peep - make high-pitched sounds; "the birds were chirping in the bushes" churr, whirr - make a vibrant sound, as of some birds chirr - make a vibrant noise, of grasshoppers or cicadas meow, mew - cry like a cat; "the cat meowed" quack - utter quacking noises; "The ducks quacked" hoot - utter the characteristic sound of owls cronk, honk - cry like a goose; "The geese were honking" hiss, siss, sizz, sibilate - make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval sibilate - utter a sibilant bray, hee-haw - braying characteristic of donkeys oink, squeal - utter a high-pitched cry, characteristic of pigs cluck, clack, click - make a clucking sounds, characteristic of hens low, moo - make a low noise, characteristic of bovines cackle - squawk shrilly and loudly, characteristic of hens gobble - make a gurgling sound, characteristic of turkeys neigh, nicker, whicker, whinny - make a characteristic sound, of a horse gargle - utter with gargling or burbling sounds caw - utter a cry, characteristic of crows, rooks, or ravens mew - utter a high-pitched cry, as of seagulls
	2.	let out - make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret; "The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"; "The actress won't reveal how old she is"; "bring out the truth"; "he broke the news to her"; "unwrap the evidence in the murder case" disclose, divulge, let on, reveal, unwrap, expose, give away, discover, bring out, break blackwash - bring (information) out of concealment muckrake - explore and expose misconduct and scandals concerning public figures; "This reporter was well-known for his muckraking" blow - cause to be revealed and jeopardized; "The story blew their cover"; "The double agent was blown by the other side" out - reveal (something) about somebody's identity or lifestyle; "The gay actor was outed last week"; "Someone outed a CIA agent" come out of the closet, out, come out - to state openly and publicly one's homosexuality; "This actor outed last year" spring - produce or disclose suddenly or unexpectedly; "He sprang these news on me just as I was leaving" get around, get out, break - be released or become known; of news; "News of her death broke in the morning" betray, bewray - reveal unintentionally; "Her smile betrayed her true feelings" confide - reveal in private; tell confidentially leak - tell anonymously; "The news were leaked to the paper" babble out, blab, blab out, let the cat out of the bag, peach, spill the beans, tattle, babble, talk, sing - divulge confidential information or secrets; "Be careful--his secretary talks" tell - let something be known; "Tell them that you will be late" reveal - disclose directly or through prophets; "God rarely reveal his plans for Mankind"
	3.	let out - bring out of a specific state bring out let go, let go of, release, relinquish - release, as from one's grip; "Let go of the door handle, please!"; "relinquish your grip on the rope--you won't fall"
	4.	let out - make (clothes) larger; "Let out that dress--I gained a lot of weight" widen vary, alter, change - become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's or its former characteristics or essence; "her mood changes in accordance with the weather"; "The supermarket's selection of vegetables varies according to the season" take in - make (clothes) smaller; "Please take in this skirt--I've lost weight"

let

verb

1. To give one's consent to:

allow, approbate, approve, authorize, consent, endorse, permit, sanction.

Informal: OK.

2. To afford an opportunity for:

admit, allow, permit.

3. To neither forbid nor prevent:

allow, have, permit, suffer, tolerate.

4. To give temporary use of in return for payment:

hire (out), lease, rent.

phrasal verb
let down

1. To cause to descend:

depress, drop, lower, take down.

2. To cause unhappiness by failing to satisfy the hopes, desires, or expectations of:

disappoint, discontent, disgruntle, dissatisfy.

phrasal verb
let in

To serve as a means of entrance for:

admit, intromit.

phrasal verb
let off

1. To discharge material, as vapor or fumes, usually suddenly and violently:

emit, give, give forth, give off, give out, issue, let out, release, send forth, throw off, vent.

2. To free from an obligation or duty:

absolve, discharge, dispense, excuse, exempt, relieve, spare.

phrasal verb
let out

1. To discharge material, as vapor or fumes, usually suddenly and violently:

emit, give, give forth, give off, give out, issue, let off, release, send forth, throw off, vent.

2. To remove (a liquid) by a steady, gradual process:

drain, draw (off), pump, tap.

3. To disclose in a breach of confidence:

betray, blab, divulge, expose, give away, reveal, tell, uncover, unveil.

Informal: spill.

Archaic: discover.

Idioms: let slip, let the cat out of the bag, spill the beans, tell all.

phrasal verb
let up

1. To grow or cause to grow gradually less:

abate, decrease, diminish, drain, dwindle, ebb, lessen, peter (out), rebate, reduce, tail away (or off), taper (off).

2. To become or cause to become less active or intense:

abate, bate, die (away, down, off, or out), ease (off or up), ebb, fall, fall off, lapse, moderate, remit, slacken, slack off, subside, wane.

3. To reduce in tension, pressure, or rigidity:

ease, loose, loosen, relax, slack, slacken, untighten.

Translations

auslassen

echar

affittare allargare astensione emettere lasciarsi sfuggire

uitleggen

w>let out

vt sep

(= allow to go out) cat, smell, air → herauslassen; (from car) → absetzen; to let oneself out → sich (dat) → die Tür aufmachen; I’ll let myself out → ich finde alleine hinaus

prisoner → entlassen, rauslassen (inf); (= divulge) news → bekannt geben, bekannt machen; secret → verraten, ausplaudern (inf); feelings → freien Lauf lassen (+dat)

(= emit) to let out a long sigh → tief seufzen; to let out a scream → einen Schrei ausstoßen; to let out a groan → (auf)stöhnen; to let one’s breath out → ausatmen

(= make larger) dress → weiter machen, auslassen; seam → auslassen

fire → ausgehen lassen

(= free from responsibility) that lets me out (of it) → da komme ich (schon mal) nicht infrage

(esp Brit: = rent) → vermieten

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

let out

let 1

let 2

let out

let

w>let out

let¹

let²