let

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈlet 

let; letting; lets

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 let ….

—B. 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; lets

transitive verb

archaic

: hinder, prevent

-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 rebukes

—Janice Castro

let go

1

: to relax or release one's hold

—used with of

let go of stress

—Kathy McCoy

let go of my arm

2

: to abandon self-restraint : let fly

spoke in clipped sentences, as if fearful of letting go

—David Kline

there just to party, just to let go

—Philippe 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 fat

—Bill 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 say, do, or release (something or someone) without restraint

She let the ball rip. [=threw the ball very hard/fast]

… on the flat plains of Kansas I let the motor rip, even reaching 70 mph …

—David Tracy

… let his anger rip on Twitter when he failed to get any Grammy nomination love.

—idolator.com

But keeping rates low to save the banks will let inflation rip.

—David McWilliams

… the logic behind the movie is simple: Put Prince on stage and let him rip.

—polygon.com

… letting rip a huge fart …

—Elizabeth Aubrey

—often used in phrases like let her rip, let 'er rip, and let it rip

… Espo [Phil Esposito] let it rip, tearing into fans for booing their team on home ice.

—Bill Brioux

We kept telling him, 'You're a great shooter, just step up and let' er rip.'

—Mark Few, quoted at spokesman.com

2

: to say or do something without restraint

… let rip at the airline in a series of insulting tweets …

—Julia Buckley

… couldn't help but let rip with the swear words …

—Julia Hunt and Bekka Barnard

… let rip with a wonderful long-range strike to deliver the winner.

—AAP Newsfeed

let the cat out of the bag

: to give away a secret

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• allow
• permit

Noun

• obstacle
• hurdle
• embarrassment
• obstruction
• stop
• barrier

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

Verb (1)

my parents would not let me drive until I had a job and could pay for my own gas

the pensioner has begun letting rooms in her home to earn some extra money

the low gravity on the moon lets you make enormous leaps and jumps

they let their kids get away with murder

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

His touch and his decision making is repeatedly letting him down. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

Younger Democrats are increasingly associating her with the past and see her as part of the problem that let Donald Trump back into the White House rather than a credible candidate for 2028. —Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

Beat on medium-high speed for 30 seconds to release steam; let cool slightly, about 1 minute. —Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025

Melissa’s extreme threats Jamaica and Haiti are expected to feel the worst of Melissa’s wrath in the coming days, but surrounding countries cannot let their guards down. —Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025

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

Phrases Containing let

• leave/let well (enough) alone
• let bygones be bygones
• let down
• let down one's guard
• let 'er rip
• let go of
• let her rip
• let it be known
• let it go
• let it go at that
• let it rip
• let loose
• let me see
• let me think
• let nature take its course
• let off
• let on
• let oneself go
• let (oneself) in for
• let one's guard down
• let out
• let rip with
• let's be honest
• let's get one thing perfectly clear
• let's go
• let sleeping dogs lie
• let (someone) down easy/gently
• let (someone) have it
• let someone in on a (little) secret
• let (someone) in on (something)
• let someone know
• let (someone) off the hook
• let (someone or something) be
• let (something) rest
• let (something) ride
• let (something) slide
• let (something) slip
• let's roll
• let's see
• let the cat out of the bag
• let the chips fall where they may
• let the dust settle
• let the grass grow under one's feet
• let the side down
• let things slide
• let up
• let up on
• let well enough alone
• live and let live
• to let
• without let or hindrance

Rhymes for let

• bet
• brett
• debt
• et
• fret
• get
• jet
• lett
• met
• net
• nett
• pet

Kids Definition

let

1 of 3 noun

ˈlet 

: 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 process

—Union 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