let

1 of 4

verb (1)

let; letting

transitive verb

1
: to cause to : make
let me know
2
a
: to give opportunity to or fail to prevent
live and let live
a break in the clouds let us see the summit
let the opportunity slip
b
used in the imperative to introduce a request or proposal
let us pray
c
used as an auxiliary to express a warning
let him try
3
: to free from or as if from confinement
let out a scream
let blood
4
: to permit to enter, pass, or leave
let them through
let them off with a warning
5
a
chiefly British : to offer or grant for rent or lease
let rooms
b
: to assign especially after bids
let a contract
6
: to make an adjustment to
let out the waist

intransitive verb

1
chiefly British : to become rented or leased
2
: to become awarded to a contractor

let

2 of 4

noun

1
: something that impedes : obstruction
ruled his little world without hindrance or letB. F. Reilly
2
: a shot or point in racket games that does not count and must be replayed

let

3 of 4

verb (2)

letted; letted or let; letting

-let

4 of 4

noun suffix

1
: small one
booklet
2
: article worn on
wristlet
Phrases
let alone
: to leave undisturbed
let the flowers alone
also : to leave to oneself
wanted to be let alone
let fly
1
: to hurl an object
2
: to give unrestrained expression to an emotion or utterance
let fly with some sharp rebukesJanice Castro
let go
1
: to relax or release one's hold
used with of
let go of stressKathy McCoy
let go of my arm
2
: to abandon self-restraint : let fly
spoke in clipped sentences, as if fearful of letting goDavid Kline
there just to party, just to let goPhilippe Vergne
3
: to dismiss from employment
the firm let him go at the end of the month
4
: to fail to take care of : neglect
let himself go and got real fatBill Parcells
let it all hang out
: to reveal one's true feelings : act without dissimulation
let one have it
: to subject to vigorous assault
let one's hair down
: to act without pretense or self-restraint
let rip
1
: to utter or release without restraint
let 'er rip
2
: to do or utter something without restraint
let rip at the press
let the cat out of the bag
: to give away a secret
Choose the Right Synonym for let

hire, let, lease, rent, charter mean to engage or grant for use at a price.

hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer
decided to let the cottage to a young couple

lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent
will not rent to families with children

charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

Examples of let in a Sentence

Noun The first serve was a let. artists are allowed to sell their goods in the public square without let or hindrance
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Cover dough with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 20 to 30 minutes. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 Take House Bill 1019, which would have let children operate a lemonade stand in their neighborhood without needing a permit from the state. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 Justices, conservative and liberal, seemed to fear in letting states decide to disqualify a national candidate on the grounds of Section 3 without clear federal legislation during oral arguments in February. Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 4 Mar. 2024 Set out the dish right from the oven and let your brunch guests top their own servings with avocado slices, cheese, lime, and fresh cilantro. 27 of 31 Cheesy Egg Breakfast Sliders View Recipe A tray of these cheesy egg sandwiches is our food editor's go-to holiday breakfast. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024 Adobe is working on a new AI tool that will let anyone be a music producer — no instrument or editing experience required. Jody Serrano / Gizmodo, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Don't let the small stature of a finger vibe fool you: These discreet picks bring on some climax-inducing vibrations. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 3 Mar. 2024 Some content creators will let money accumulate in certain platforms before cashing out, but that is irrelevant for revenue recognition. Jesse Silvertown, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Now $500,000 richer, Frey did not let his winnings effect his Sunday church sermon. Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'let.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English leten, from Old English lǣtan; akin to Old High German lāzzan to permit, and perhaps to Lithuanian lėnas tranquil

Verb (2)

Middle English letten, from Old English lettan to delay, hinder; akin to Old High German lezzen to delay, hurt, Old English lǣt late

Noun suffix

Middle English, from Middle French -elet, from -el, diminutive suffix (from Latin -ellus) + -et

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of let was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near let

Cite this Entry

“Let.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/let. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

let

1 of 3 noun
: something that interferes : obstacle
without let or hindrance

let

2 of 3 verb
let; letting
1
: to cause to : make
let it be known
2
chiefly British : to give use of in return for payment
rooms to let
3
a
: to allow or permit to
let them go
b
used to introduce a request
let us hope for the best
4
: to allow to go or pass
let them through

-let

3 of 3 noun suffix
lət
1
: small one
booklet
2
: something worn on
anklet
Etymology

Noun suffix

derived from early French -elet "small one," from -el and -et, both suffixes meaning "small"

Legal Definition

let

verb
let; letting

transitive verb

1
: to offer or grant for rent, lease, or hire : lease
may not be alienated, let, or encumbered
corporeal things may be let out
2
: to assign especially after bids
were attempting to let a contract without going through the bidding processUnion Springs Tel. Co. v. Rowell, 623 So. 2d 732 (1993)

intransitive verb

1
: to become rented, leased, or hired
2
: to become awarded to a contractor

More from Merriam-Webster on let

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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