797
letter
allow (to do or happen): I wanted to go out but my mum wouldn't let me. | [+obj+to-v] She lets her children play in the street. | He's letting his beard grow. He let a week go by before answering the letter. | Please let me buy you a drink. (=a polite offer) | She took off the dog's lead and let it loose. | They tied the prisoner to the fence and let the dogs at him. (=allowed the dogs to attack) -> see CAUSE (USAGE) 2 [+obj+to-v] (the named person) must, should, or can: Let each man decide for himself. | Let him do what he likes; I don't care. | Let there be no mistake about it. | Don't let me have to speak to you again. | 'Who shall I invite in place of Mary?' 'Let me see (=I must think carefully about this) - what about Diana?' | (when suggesting a plan) 'Let's (=Let us) have a party, shall we?' 'No, let's not.' | Let's not quarrel! (BrE) Don't let's quarrel about it. | Let's face it (=we have to admit) we're going to be late. | (fml) When a priest invites the congregation to pray, he says 'Let us pray'. -> see USAGE 3 [(to, OUT)] especially BrE || rent especially AmE — to give the use of (a room, a building, land etc) in return for rent: We're hoping to let our spare room (to a student). | The top floor of the house is let (out) to a young couple. | There's a 'To Let' sign on the house next door. -> compare LET OUT; see HIRE¹ (USAGE) 4 [+obj+to-v] fml (in plans or calculations) to suppose for the purpose of argument: Let the line AB be equal in length to the line XY. 5 let alone (used for showing that the thing mentioned next is even less likely or believable than the one mentioned before): The baby can't even walk, let alone run. 6 let drop/fall to make (a remark, suggestion etc known, as if by accident but really on purpose: She let drop the fact that she was expecting a baby. 7 let go (of) to stop holding: Don't let go (of) the handle. Hold it tight and don't let go. | Let go! You're hurting my arm. 8 let it go at that to take no further action 9 let oneself go: a) to behave more freely and naturally than usual: You should have seen the way he let himself go at the party, dancing on the table and singing! b) to take less care of one's appearance than usual: Buy some new clothes and get your hair cut, my dear - you're letting yourself go these days. 10 let someone go: a) to set someone free; allow someone to escape b) euph to dismiss someone from a job 11 let someone/something alone to leave someone/something alone (LEAVE) 12 let someone/something be to leave someone/something unworried; not INTERFERE with: Let him be, he's doing no harm. | I told him I'd tried to fix the typewriter but he said let it be till he got home. -> compare leave someone/something be (LEAVE¹) 13 let well (enough) alone to make no change to something that is satisfactory; end, so that the people attending can leave in case it is made worse rather than better 14 let someone have it spoken to shout at someone because you are angry at them: Adelman let his team have it at half time, but their defensive game didn't improve in the second half. -> see also let fly (FLY¹), let it all hang out (HANG OUT), let one's hair down (HAIR), let someone know (KNOW¹), let something pass (PASS¹), let something ride (RIDE²), let something rip (RIP¹), let slip (SLIP¹)
1 Let us is usually shortened to let's in conversation when making a suggestion which includes the person you are speaking to: Come on, Jim let's dance! Otherwise it must be let us: Please sir let us go now. 2 The negative of let's is let's not. In British English don't let's is also possible: Let's not waste time on this./ (BrE) Don't let's waste time on this.
let down phr v [T] 1 [(let sthg./sbdy. <=> down)] to cause or allow to go down; lower: Let down a rope so that I can climb up. 2 [(let sthg. <=> down)] also lengthen AmE to make (clothes) longer: I'm going to let down this old dress for my daughter. 3 [(let sbdy. down)] to fail to do for (someone) what they could reasonably expect one to do because one is supposed to be loyal to them, has made a promise to them etc: I'm counting on you to support me; don't let me down. | The singer we had engaged let us down at the last moment, so we had to find a quick replacement. -> see also LETDOWN 4 let someone down lightly to disappoint or give bad news to someone in a way that will not hurt their feelings too much
let sbdy./sthg. <=> in phr v [T] 1 to allow or make it possible for (someone or something) to enter: She opened the door and let me in. | This tent lets in the rain. 2 to allow; admit: This new evidence lets in the possibility of doubt.
let sbdy. <=> in for sthg. phr v [T] infml to cause to have or
experience (something difficult or unpleasant): When I agreed to help you, I didn't know what I was letting myself in for.
let sbdy. <=> in on sthg. phr v [T] infml to allow to share (a secret or something secret)
let sbdy./sthg. into sthg. phr v [T] 1 to allow or make it possible for (someone or something) to enter: I let myself into the flat with a spare key. 2 to allow to join: They won't let women into their club. 3 to place into (another material) so as to be level with and form a pattern on its surface: The iron decoration has been let into the brickwork. 4 to allow (someone) to know; LET in on: I'll let you into a little secret: I've never even been there.
let sbdy./sthg. off (sthg.) phr v [T] 1 to excuse from (punishment, duty etc): If you promise not to do it again, I'll let you off. | She let the boy off (doing) his music practice. | He was expected to go to prison, but the judge let him off with a fine. | In my opinion he was let off lightly. (=given less severe treatment than he deserved) 2 to allow to leave (a vehicle): The conductor wouldn't let me off (the bus) until I'd paid the fare. 3 to fire or cause to explode: Don't let that gun/those fireworks off indoors.
let on phr v 1 [T] (let sbdy./sthg. on (sthg))] to allow to get on (a vehicle): The conductor wouldn't let me on (the bus) with this big parcel. 2 [;T obj] infml to tell a secret: I think he knows more about it than he's prepared to let on. | Don't let on about the meeting. | [+that/wh-] Don't let on that I told you/let on who told you.
let out phr v 1 [T(of) (let sbdy./sthg. <=> out)] to allow or make it possible for (someone or something) to leave: They were let out of (=freed from) prison last week. | Someone's let the air out of this tyre. 2 [T(let out sthg.)] to express loudly and violently: He let out a cry of pain/a roar. 3 [T(let sthg. <=> out)] to make (clothes) wider: Jack's put on so much weight that I've had to let out all his trousers. -> compare TAKE in 4 [T(let sthg. <=> out)] to allow (something) to become known: News of the takeover bid was let out this morning. | [+that] He accidentally let out that he hadn't been home for three weeks. 5 [T(let sthg. <=> out)] especially BrE to give the use of (especially vehicles or equipment) in return for payment -> HIRE¹ (USAGE) 6 [I] AmE to end, so that the people attending can leave: When does school let out? | The movie lets out at 10 o'clock. -> see also let the cat out of the bag (CAT)
let up phr v [I] (especially of something bad) to lessen or stop: When will this rain let up? -> see also LETUP
let up on sbdy./sthg. phr v [T no pass.] infml to treat less severely: You're always pressing her to work harder and do better; why don't you let up on her for a while?
let² n BrE 1 an act of renting a house or flat to, or from, someone: a long let 2 a house or flat that is (to be) rented
let³ n 1 [C] (in tennis and similar games) a stroke that does not count and must be played again, especially one in which a ball that has been served hits the top of the net on its way over 2 [U] law the act of preventing something from being done (especially in the phrase without let or hindrance)
let-down /'letdaun/ n infml a disappointment: We were going out today, but now it's raining, so we can't. What a letdown! -> see also LET DOWN
le·thal /'li:θəl/ adj (having the power of) causing death: A hammer can be a lethal weapon. | a lethal dose of a drug | (fig.) That cocktail looks fairly lethal! (=very strong in alcohol) -> compare MORTAL ---ly adv
leth·ar·gy /'leθədʒil-ər-/ n [U] fml, often derog the state of being sleepy, unnaturally tired, or (too) inactive; lazy state of mind: The heat of the afternoon and the heavy meal combined to create a feeling of lethargy. | The government was accused of lethargy. —gic /lɪ'θɒ:dʒɪk||-a:r-/ adj —gically /kli/ adv
Le·the /'li:θi/ in ancient Greek MYTHOLOGY, a river in HADES (=the place under the ground where the spirits of dead people are supposed to live). When people who have died drink its water, they forget everything that happened when they were alive.
Let·ra·set /'letrəset/ trademark a type of lettering printed on a special sheet in such a way that they can be put onto paper or other surfaces by the use of pressure
let·ter /'letər/ n 1 [C] a written or printed message sent