let
[verb]
Synonyms:
- allow, authorize, entitle, give permission, give the go-ahead, permit, sanction, tolerate
- lease, hire, rent
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[noun]
hindrance, constraint, impediment, interference, obstacle, obstruction, prohibition, restriction

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Contrasted words: ban, enjoin, forbid, inhibit, interdict, prohibit, bar, block, hinder, impede, obstruct, circumvent, foil, frustrate, thwart
Related Words: accredit, approve, certify, endorse, sanction, authorize, commission, license, concede, grant

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English Thesaurus: allow, let, permit, give somebody permission, give your consent, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

-let /lət, lɪt/ suffix [in nouns]
[Language: Old French; Origin: -elet, from -el 'small' (from Latin -ellus) + -et]
a small kind of something:
a booklet
a piglet

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

I. let¹ S1 W1 /let/ verb (past tense and past participle let, present participle letting)
[Language: Old English; Origin: lætan]

1. ALLOW [transitive not in passive] to allow someone to do something ⇒ permit:
I can’t come out tonight – my dad won’t let me.
let somebody do something
Let Johnny have a go on the computer now.
Some people seem to let their kids do whatever they like.
Let me have a look at that letter.
let somebody have something (=give something to someone)
I can let you have another £10, but no more.
► Do not say ‘be let to do something’, because let has no passive form. Use the active form, or use be allowed: They let me leave. | I was allowed to leave.

REGISTER
In written English, people often prefer to use allow somebody to do something rather than let somebody do something, as it is slightly more formal:
We must allow young people to develop independence.

2. NOT STOP SOMETHING HAPPENING [transitive not usually in passive] to not stop something happening, or to make it possible for it to happen
let somebody/something do something
Jenny let the note fall to the ground.
Don’t let anyone know it was me who told you.
Max let the door swing open.
Let the cookies cool down before you try them.
let yourself be beaten/persuaded/fooled etc
I stupidly let myself be persuaded to take part in a live debate.

3. let go
a) to stop holding something or someone:
Let go! You’re hurting me.
let go of
The guard let go of the lead, and the dog lunged forward.
b) to accept that you cannot change something and stop thinking or worrying about it:
Sometimes you just have to learn to let go.

4. let somebody go
a) to allow someone to leave a place where they have been kept Synonym : release:
The police had to let him go through lack of evidence.
The hijackers were persuaded to let some hostages go.
b) to make someone leave their job – used in order to avoid saying this directly:
I’m afraid we had to let several of our staff go.


SPOKEN PHRASES

5. SUGGEST/OFFER [transitive not in passive] used to make a suggestion or to offer help
let’s do something
Let’s make a start, shall we?
Let’s all get together over Christmas.
Let’s not jump to conclusions – he might have been delayed.
let somebody do something
Let me help you with those bags.
Let me give you a piece of advice.
let’s hope (that)
Let’s hope he got your message in time.
don’t let’s do something British English informal:
Don’t let’s argue like this.

6. let’s see (also let me see) used when you are thinking about or trying to remember something:
Today’s date is – let me see, March 20th.
Now, let’s see, where did I put your application form?

7. let me think used to say that you need time to think about or remember something:
What was his name, now? Let me think.

8. let him/her/them etc used to say that you do not care if someone does something they are threatening to do:
‘She says she’s going to sell her story to the newspapers!’ ‘Well, let her!’

9. let’s face it/let’s be honest used to say that someone must accept an unpleasant fact or situation:
Let’s face it, no one’s going to lend us any money.

10. let’s just say (that) used to say that you are not going to give someone all the details about something:
‘So who did it?’ ‘Let’s just say it wasn’t anyone in this family.’

11. let yourself go
a) to relax completely and enjoy yourself:
For goodness sake, Peter, why don’t you just let yourself go for once?
b) to stop looking after yourself properly, for example by not caring about your appearance:
Poor Dad. He’s really let himself go since Mum died.

12. let something go
a) to not punish or criticize someone for something they have done wrong:
OK, I’ll let it go this time.
b) to stop worrying or thinking too much about something:
It’s time to let the past go.
c) informal to sell something for a particular amount
let something go for £20/$200 etc
I couldn’t let it go for less than £300.

13. WISH [transitive not in passive] used to say that you wish or hope that something happens, or does not happen
(not) let somebody/something do something
Don’t let him be the one who died, she prayed.

14. let alone used after a negative statement to say that the next thing you mention is even more unlikely:
The baby can’t even sit up yet, let alone walk!

15. let something drop/rest/lie to stop talking about or trying to deal with something:
It seems the press are not going to let the matter rest.

16. let slip to accidentally tell someone something that should have been kept secret
let slip that
Liz let slip that she’d seen him quite recently.

17. RENT [transitive] especially British English to charge someone an amount of money for the use of a room or building Synonym : lease ⇒ hire, rent:
Interhome has over 20,000 houses to let across Europe.
let something to somebody
I’ve let my spare room to a student.
let somebody something
Would you consider letting me the garage for a few months?
let something out to somebody
We let the smaller studios out to local artists.
To Let written (=written on a sign outside a building to show that it is available for renting)

18. MATHEMATICS let something be/equal/represent something technical used in mathematics to mean that you give something a particular measurement or value in order to make a calculation:
Let angle A equal the sum of the two opposite sides.

19. let yourself in for something informal to do something that will cause you a lot of trouble:
I don’t think Carol realizes what she’s letting herself in for.

20. never let a day/week/year etc go by without doing something used to say that someone does a particular thing very regularly:
They never seem to let a year go by without introducing a new version of their software.

21. let the good times roll informal used to say that it is time for people to start having fun

22. let somebody have it informal to attack someone
⇒ let fly (something) at fly¹(17), ⇒ let it all hang out at hang out(3), ⇒ live and let live at live¹(21), ⇒ let it/her rip at rip¹(5), ⇒ let rip at rip¹(4)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. let² noun

1. [countable] British English an arrangement in which a house or flat is rented to someone:
An agency is managing the let.
a long-term let

2. without let or hindrance law happening freely without being prevented in any way

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

let
verb
1.
BAD: You can travel by train or let a car.
GOOD: You can travel by train or rent/hire a car.

Usage Note:
let = allow someone to live in your house, flat etc in return for money: 'During the holiday season we let the cottage to tourists.'
See note at HIRE (hire)

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2.
BAD: Do you think your parents will let you go to England?
GOOD: Do you think your parents will let you go to England?

Usage Note:
let sb do sth (WITHOUT to ): 'Why wouldn't Alice let you help her?'
Compare: 'Do you think your parents will allow you to go to England?'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

allow to say that someone can do something – used about parents, teachers, or people in authority:
They don’t allow students to chew gum in the classroom.
I’m not allowed to stay out after ten o'clock.
let [not in passive] to allow someone to do something. Let is not used in the passive, and is much more commonly used in everyday English than allow:
Will your Mum let you come to the party?
I’ll borrow John’s bicycle, if he’ll let me.
permit formal if something is permitted, it is allowed according to the rules - used especially on written notices and announcements:
Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the building.
give somebody permission used when someone in an important official position decides to allow someone to do something:
He was given special permission to leave school early.
The Home Office has given him permission to stay in Britain indefinitely.
give your consent to say that you will allow someone to do something that will affect you personally, or a member of your family, when you have a legal right to say ‘no’:
Her parents have given their consent to the marriage.
You can’t build on someone’s land without the owner’s consent.
give something the go-ahead to officially allow a planned project or activity to happen:
The government finally gave the go-ahead for a new terminal at Heathrow airport.
A new nuclear plant has been given the go-ahead.
authorize to officially or legally allow someone to do something - used about laws or people:
The UN resolution would authorize the use of force.
I never authorized them to give information about me to other banks.
entitle to give someone the right to do or have something:
The pass entitles you to travel on any bus, at any time, in Norwich.
If the goods are faulty, the customer is entitled to a refund.
sanction formal to give official approval and support for something:
The Truman administration refused to sanction a military attack.
The advertisements were sanctioned by the candidate himself.
have a permit
Do you have a resident's parking permit?
need/require a permit
EU citizens no longer need a permit to work in the UK.
get a permit
You have to get a special permit in order to visit the Saiq plateau.
issue a permit
Up to ten fishing permits are issued each day.
obtain a permit (=more formal than 'get')
Hunters are required to obtain a permit.
apply for a permit
Farmers must apply for permits to use the new chemicals.
a work permit
She had problems getting a work permit for the States.
a parking permit
You’ll need to apply for a residential parking permit.
a travel permit
Palestinians have to obtain a travel permit for travel between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
a residence permit (also residency permit especially American English) (=one that allows you to live in a country)
Residence permits will be limited to five years.
an export permit
An export permit is required for the export of this timber.
a gun permit
More than 300,000 civilians, in a country of 6 million, have gun permits.
a fishing permit
To fish you’ll need a rod licence and a fishing permit.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

let
̈ɪlet
See: live and let live

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲