layoff

lay·off

noun \ˈlā-ˌȯf\

Definition of LAYOFF

1

: a period of inactivity or idleness

2

: the act of laying off an employee or a workforce; also : shutdown

Examples of LAYOFF

1. The company announced the layoff of several hundred employees.
2. More layoffs are expected at the factory later this year.
3. The band finally has a new album after a three year layoff.
4. a layoff of three years

First Known Use of LAYOFF

1889

Related to LAYOFF

Synonyms: ax (or axe), discharge, dismissal, furlough, redundancy [chiefly British]

Related Words: pink slip; bird [chiefly British], boot, bum's rush, downsizing, firing, heave-ho, sack; closing, shutdown; shakeout, shake-up

Near Antonyms: callback, recall, reemployment, rehire, rehiring

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Rhymes with LAYOFF

back off, beg off, bind off, blastoff, blow off, break off, bring off, brush-off, bug off, bump off, burn off, buy off, call off, cast-off, castoff, change off, charge off, checkoff, check off, Chekhov, choke off, come off, cook-off, cry off, cutoff, cut off, die-off, die off, draw off, drop-off, drop off, dust off, face-off, face off, falloff, far-off, fire off, first off, flip off, fob off, get off, give off, go off, goof-off, handoff, hand off, hands-off, haul off, head off, hold off, jump-off, kickoff, kick off, kill off, kiss-off, kiss off, knockoff, knock off, Khrushchev, laugh off, lay off, leadoff, leave off, lie off, liftoff, make off, nod off, one-off, palm off, pass off, Pavlov, pawn off, payoff, pay off, peel off, pick off, pickoff, play-off, pop off, pull off, push off, put off, rake-off, reel off, rip-off, rip off, roll-off, rub off, runoff, Sarnoff, sawed-off, seal off, sell off, sell-off, send-off, setoff, set off, show-off, show off, shrug off, shutoff, shut off, sign off, sign-off, sound off, spin-off, spin off, square off, squeeze off, standoff, stand off, stave off, straight off, strike off, swear off, takeoff, take off, Tambov, tap-off, teed off, tee off, tell off, throw off, tick off, tip-off, touch off, trade-off, turnoff, turn off, well-off, Wolof, work off, write-off, write off