let

1 of 4

verb (1)

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 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; lets

-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 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
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
So, as the days get colder, let those small gestures of love keep the warmth alive. Mark Travers, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 For winter layering, pair yours with an everyday blazer and let a striped tee add a contrasting mix. Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2024 The book’s focus on fossils lets each piece of dinosaur history tell its own story. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Oct. 2024 Narasimhan was let go in August and replaced with Niccol, who has been vocal about his plans to simplify Starbucks’ menu amid lagging sales. Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for let 

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 5 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!