Advertisement
Advertisement
leave
1[ leev ]
verb (used with object)
- to go out of or away from, as a place:
to leave the house.
Synonyms: relinquish, desert, forsake, abandon
Antonyms: join
- to depart from permanently; quit:
to leave a job.
Synonyms: relinquish, desert, forsake, abandon
Antonyms: join
- to let remain or have remaining behind after going, disappearing, ceasing, etc.:
I left my wallet home.
The wound left a scar.
- to allow to remain in the same place, condition, etc.:
Is there any coffee left?
- to let stay or be as specified:
to leave a door unlocked.
- to let (a person or animal) remain in a position to do something without interference:
We left him to his work.
- to let (a thing) remain for action or decision:
We left the details to the lawyer.
Leave the package with the receptionist.
I left my name and phone number.
- to stop; cease; give up:
He left music to study law.
- to disregard; neglect:
We will leave this for the moment and concentrate on the major problem.
- to give for use after one's death or departure:
to leave all one's money to charity.
- to have remaining after death:
He leaves a wife and three children.
- to have as a remainder after subtraction:
2 from 4 leaves 2.
- Nonstandard. let 1( defs 1, 2, 6 ).
verb (used without object)
- to go away, depart, or set out:
We leave for Europe tomorrow.
leave
2[ leev ]
noun
- permission to do something:
to beg leave to go elsewhere.
Synonyms: liberty
- permission to be absent, as from work or military duty:
The firm offers a maternity leave as part of its benefit program.
- the time this permission lasts:
30 days' leave.
He took his leave before the formal ceremonies began.
We took leave of them after dinner.
- Metallurgy. draft ( def 23 ).
- Bowling. the pin or pins in upright position after the bowl of the first ball.
leave
3[ leev ]
verb (used without object)
- to put forth leaves; leaf.
leave
1/ liːv /
noun
- permission to do something
he was granted leave to speak
- by your leave or with your leavewith your permission
- permission to be absent, as from a place of work or duty
leave of absence
- the duration of such absence
ten days' leave
- a farewell or departure (esp in the phrase take ( one's ) leave )
- on leaveofficially excused from work or duty
- take leaveto say farewell (to)
- take leave of one's sensesto go mad or become irrational
leave
2/ liːv /
verb
- intr to produce or grow leaves
leave
3/ liːv /
verb
- also intr to go or depart (from a person or place)
- to cause to remain behind, often by mistake, in a place
he often leaves his keys in his coat
- to cause to be or remain in a specified state
paying the bill left him penniless
- to renounce or abandon
to leave a political movement
- to refrain from consuming or doing something
the things we have left undone
- to result in; cause
childhood problems often leave emotional scars
- to allow to be or remain subject to another person or thing
leave the past to look after itself
- to entrust or commit
leave the shopping to her
- to submit in place of one's personal appearance
will you leave your name and address?
- to pass in a specified direction
flying out of the country, we left the cliffs on our left
- to be survived by (members of one's family)
he leaves a wife and two children
- to bequeath or devise
he left his investments to his children
- tr to have as a remainder
37 – 14 leaves 23
- not_standard.to permit; let
- leave be informal.to leave undisturbed
- leave go or leave hold of not_standard.to stop holding
- leave it at that informal.to take a matter no further
- leave much to be desiredto be very unsatisfactory
- leave someone alone
- Alsolet alone See let 1
- to permit to stay or be alone
- leave someone to himselfnot to control or direct someone
Discover More
Usage Note
Discover More
Derived Forms
- ˈleaver, noun
Discover More
Other Words From
- leav·er noun
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of leave1
Origin of leave2
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of leave1
Origin of leave2
Discover More
Idioms and Phrases
- leave alone,
- Also let alone. to refrain from annoying or interfering with:
Those kids wouldn't leave the dog alone, and he eventually turned on them.
She finally shouted, “Leave me alone!” at the man who had been following her for several blocks.
- to allow or cause (someone) to be left on their own: They left me all alone, and I couldn’t figure out how to get back home.
Leave him alone—he wants to rest.
They left me all alone, and I couldn’t figure out how to get back home.
- leave well enough alone. alone ( def 8 ).
More idioms and phrases containing leave
- absent without leave
- (leave) high and dry
- (leave) out in the cold
- take it or leave it
- take leave of
- take one's leave
- let
Advertisement
Discover More
Related Words
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse