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let go

 - 9 dictionary results

go

1[goh] verb, went, gone, go⋅ing, noun, plural goes, interjection, adjective
–verb (used without object)
1. to move or proceed, esp. to or from something: They're going by bus.
2. to leave a place; depart: People were coming and going all the time.
3. to keep or be in motion; function or perform as required: Can't you go any faster in your work?
4. to become as specified: to go mad.
5. to continue in a certain state or condition; be habitually: to go barefoot.
6. to act as specified: Go warily if he wants to discuss terms.
7. to act so as to come into a certain state or condition: to go into debt; to go to sleep.
8. to be known: to go by a false name.
9. to reach, extend, or give access to: Where does this door go?
10. to pass or elapse: The time went fast.
11. to be applied, allotted, awarded, transferred, etc., to a particular recipient or purpose: My money goes for food and rent.
12. to be sold: I have a bid of two dollars. Going! Going! Gone!
13. to be considered generally or usually: He's short, as basketball players go.
14. to conduce or tend: This only goes to prove the point.
15. to result or end; turn out: How did the game go?
16. to belong; have a place: This book goes on the top shelf.
17. (of colors, styles, etc.) to harmonize; be compatible; be suited: Your tweed jacket would go well with these pants.
18. to fit around or into; be able to be extended, contained, inserted, etc.: This belt won't go around my waist.
19. to be or become consumed, spent, finished, etc.: The cake went fast.
20. to be or become discarded, dismissed, put aside, forgotten, etc.: Those practical jokes of yours have got to go!
21. to develop, progress, or proceed, esp. with reference to success or satisfaction: How is your new job going?
22. to move or proceed with remarkable speed or energy: Look at that airplane go!
23. to make a certain sound: The gun goes bang.
24. to be phrased, written, or composed: How does that song go?
25. to seek or have recourse for a decision, verdict, corroboration, defense, etc.; resort: to go to court.
26. to become worn-out, weakened, ineffective, etc.: His eyesight is beginning to go.
27. to die: The old man went peacefully at 3 a.m.
28. to fail, break, or give way: The dike might go any minute.
29. to come into action; begin: Go when you hear the bell.
30. to make up a quantity or content; be requisite: Sixteen ounces go to the pound.
31. to be able to be divided; be contained as a mathematical element: Three goes into fifteen five times.
32. to contribute to an end result: the items that go to make up the total.
33. to have as one's goal; intend (usually used in the present tense, fol. by an infinitive): Their daughter is going to be a doctor.
34. to be permitted, approved, or the like: Around here, anything goes.
35. to be authoritative; be the final word: This is my house, and what I say goes!
36. to subject oneself: Don't go to any trouble.
37. (used in the infinitive as an intensifier to indicate the idea of proceeding, esp. with the expectation of serious consequences): He finally had to go ask for a loan.
38. Informal. to urinate or defecate.
–verb (used with object)
39. Informal. to endure or tolerate: I can't go his preaching.
40. Informal. to risk, pay, afford, bet, or bid: I'll go fifty dollars for a ticket, but no more.
41. to move or proceed with or according to; follow: Going my way?
42. to share or participate in to the extent of (often fol. by a complementary substantive): to go halves.
43. to yield, produce, weigh as a usable amount, or grow to: This field will go two bales of cotton.
44. to assume the obligation, responsibility, or function of: His father went bail for him.
45. Informal. to enjoy, appreciate, desire, or want: I could go a big steak dinner right now.
46. Informal. to say; declare (usually used in speech): I asked the clerk for my receipt, and he goes, “You don't need it.”
–noun
47. the act of going: the come and go of the seasons.
48. energy, spirit, or animation: a man with a lot of go.
49. a try at something; attempt: to have a go at winning the prize.
50. a successful accomplishment; success: to make a go of a new business.
51. Informal. a business agreement; deal; bargain: Thirty dollars? It's a go.
52. Informal. approval or permission, as to undertake or begin something: The boss gave us the go on the new project.
53. Boxing. a bout: the main go.
–interjection
54. (in calling the start of a race) start the race; leave the starting line: On your mark! Get set! Go!
–adjective
55. ready.
56. functioning properly: two minutes before the satellite is to be launched and all systems are go.
57. go about,
a. to occupy oneself with; perform: The shoemaker goes about his work with a smile.
b. Nautical. to change course by tacking or wearing.
58. go after, to attempt to obtain; strive for: You'll never get what you want if you don't go after it energetically.
59. go against, to be in conflict with or opposed to: It goes against the company's policy.
60. go ahead, to proceed without hesitation or delay: If you want to use my car, go ahead.
61. go along,
a. to move or proceed.
b. to accompany in travel.
c. to agree; concur: I can't go along with you on that idea.
62. go around,
a. to be often in company (often fol. by with): to go around with a bad crowd.
b. to be sufficient for all: Is there enough food to go around?
c. to pass or circulate, as in transmission or communication: The rumor is going around that he was forced to resign.
63. go at,
a. to assault; attack.
b. to begin or proceed vigorously: to go at one's work with a will.
64. go back on. back 2 (def. 7).
65. go by,
a. to be disregarded or not taken advantage of: Don't let this chance go by.
b. to be guided by or to rely upon: Don't go by what she says.
66. go down,
a. to decrease or subside, as in amount or size: Prices went down. The swelling is going down.
b. to descend or sink: When does the sun go down?
c. to suffer defeat: to go down fighting.
d. to be accepted or believed: This nonsense goes down as truth with many persons.
e. to admit of being consumed: This food goes down easily.
f. to be remembered in history or by posterity.
g. Slang. to happen; occur: What's been going down since I've been away?
h. British. to leave a university, permanently or at the end of a term.
i. Bridge. to fall short of making one's contract.
j. Slang: Vulgar. to perform fellatio or cunnilingus.
67. go for,
a. to make an attempt at; try for: He is going for the championship.
b. to assault.
c. to favor; like: It simply isn't the kind of life you would go for.
d. to be used for the purpose of or be a substitute for: material that goes for silk.
68. go in for,
a. to adopt as one's particular interest; approve of; like.
b. to occupy oneself with; engage in: Europeans in increasing numbers are going in for camping.
69. go into,
a. to discuss or investigate: Let's not go into the question of whose fault it was.
b. to undertake as one's study or work: to go into medicine.
70. go in with, to join in a partnership or union; combine with: He asked me to go in with him on the purchase of a boat.
71. go off,
a. to explode, fire, or perform or begin to function abruptly: A gun went off in the distance.
b. (of what has been expected or planned) to happen: The interview went off very badly.
c. to leave, esp. suddenly: She went off without saying goodbye.
d. to die.
e. to deteriorate.
f. Slang. to experience orgasm.
72. go on,
a. to happen or take place: What's going on here?
b. to continue: Go on working.
c. to behave; act: Don't go on like that!
d. to talk effusively; chatter.
e. (used to express disbelief): Go on, you're kidding me.
f. to appear onstage in a theatrical performance: I go on in the middle of the second act.
73. go out,
a. to come to an end, esp. to fade in popularity: Silent movies went out as soon as the talkies were perfected.
b. to cease or fail to function: The lights went out.
c. to participate in social activities, on dates, etc.
d. to take part in a strike: The printers went out yesterday in a contract dispute.
e. Rummy. to dispose of the last card in one's hand by melding it on the table.
f. Cards. to achieve a point score equal to or above the score necessary to win the game.
74. go over,
a. to repeat; review.
b. to be effective or successful: The proposal went over very well with the trustees.
c. to examine: The mechanic went over the car but found nothing wrong.
d. to read; scan.
75. go through,
a. to bear; experience.
b. to examine or search carefully: He went through all of his things but couldn't find the letter.
c. to be successful; be accepted or approved: The proposed appropriation will never go through.
d. to use up; spend completely: He went through his allowance in one day.
76. go through with, to persevere with to the end; bring to completion: It was perhaps the biggest challenge of her life, and she resolved to go through with it.
77. go under,
a. to be overwhelmed or ruined; fail.
b. (of a ship) to founder.
78. go up,
a. to be in the process of construction, as a building.
b. to increase in cost, value, etc.
c. to forget one's lines during a theatrical performance.
d. British. to go to a university at the beginning of a term.
79. from the word “go,” from the very start; since the beginning.
80. go and, to be so thoughtless, unfortunate, or silly as to: It was going to be a surprise but he went and told her.
81. go ape over or for. ape (def. 6).
82. go bananas. bananas (def. 2).
83. go down on, Slang: Vulgar. to perform fellatio or cunnilingus on.
84. go for broke. broke (def. 9).
85. go for it, Informal. to pursue a goal with determination.
86. go it alone, to act or proceed independently, without assistance, companionship, or the like: If you don't want to form a partnership, I'll go it alone.
87. go native. native (def. 18).
88. go the whole hog, to do something thoroughly or consistently: If you're getting a new amplifier, why don't you go the whole hog and get new speakers and a turntable, too?
89. go to!, Archaic.
a. you don't say! I don't believe you!
b. let's do it! come on!
90. go together,
a. to be appropriate or harmonious: The rug and curtains don't go together.
b. Informal. to keep company; date; court: They have gone together for two years.
91. go to it, Informal. to begin vigorously and at once.
92. go with, Informal. to keep company with; court; date: He went with her for two semesters. Also, go out with.
93. let go,
a. to release one's grasp or hold: Please let go of my arm.
b. to free; release.
c. to cease to employ; dismiss: Business was slack and many employees were let go.
d. to become unrestrained; abandon inhibitions: She'd be good fun if she would just let go and enjoy herself.
e. to dismiss; forget; discard: Once he has an idea, he never lets go of it.
94. let go with, to express or utter with abandon: He let go with a sudden yell.
95. let oneself go, to free oneself of inhibitions or restraint: Let yourself go and get mad once in a while.
96. no go, Informal.
a. futile; useless: We tried to get there by noon, but it was no go.
b. not authorized or approved to proceed; canceled or aborted: Tomorrow's satellite launching is no go.
97. on the go,
a. very busy; active: She's always on the go.
b. while going from place to place; while traveling.
98. to go, Informal. (of food) for consumption off the premises where sold: coffee to go.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME gon, OE gān; c. OHG gēn, G gehen


1. walk, run, travel, advance.


1. stay.

let

1[let] verb, let, let⋅ting, noun
–verb (used with object)
1. to allow or permit: to let him escape.
2. to allow to pass, go, or come: to let us through.
3. to grant the occupancy or use of (land, buildings, rooms, space, etc., or movable property) for rent or hire (sometimes fol. by out).
4. to contract or assign for performance, usually under a contract: to let work to a carpenter.
5. to cause to; make: to let one know the truth.
6. (used in the imperative as an auxiliary expressive of a request, command, warning, suggestion, etc.): Let me see. Let us go. Just let them try it!
–verb (used without object)
7. to admit of being rented or leased: The apartment lets for $100 per week.
–noun
8. British. a lease.
9. let down,
a. to disappoint; fail.
b. to betray; desert.
c. to slacken; abate: We were too near success to let down in our efforts.
d. to allow to descend slowly; lower.
e. Aeronautics. (of an airplane) to descend from a higher to a lower altitude preparatory to making an approach and landing or a similar maneuver.
10. let in,
a. to admit.
b. to involve (a person) in without his or her knowledge or permission: to let someone in for a loss.
c. Also, let into. to insert into the surface of (a wall or the like) as a permanent addition: to let a plaque into a wall.
d. Also, let in on. to share a secret with; permit to participate in.
11. let off,
a. to release by exploding.
b. to free from duty or responsibility; excuse.
c. to allow to go with little or no punishment; pardon: The judge let off the youthful offender with a reprimand.
12. let on,
a. to reveal one's true feelings: She was terrified at the prospect, but didn't let on.
b. to pretend: They let on that they didn't care about not being invited, but I could tell that they were hurt.
13. let out,
a. to divulge; make known.
b. to release from confinement, restraint, etc.
c. to enlarge (a garment).
d. to terminate; be finished; end: When does the university let out for the summer?
e. to make (a let-out fur or pelt).
14. let up,
a. to slacken; diminish; abate: This heat wave should let up by the end of the week.
b. to cease; stop: The rain let up for a few hours.
15. let up on, to treat less severely; be more lenient with: He refused to let up on the boy until his grades improved.
16. let alone. alone (def. 8).
17. let be,
a. to refrain from interference.
b. to refrain from interfering with.
18. let go. go (def. 82).
19. let someone have it, Informal. to attack or assault, as by striking, shooting, or rebuking: The gunman threatened to let the teller have it if he didn't move fast.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME leten, OE lǣtan; c. D laten, G lassen, ON lāta, Goth lētan; akin to Gk lēdeîn to be weary, L lassus tired. See late


1. See allow. 1. suffer, grant. 3. lease, rent, sublet, hire.


1. prevent.


Let us is used in all varieties of speech and writing to introduce a suggestion or a request: Let us consider all the facts before deciding. The contracted form let's occurs mostly in informal speech and writing: Let's go. Let's not think about that right now. Perhaps because let's has come to be felt as a word in its own right rather than as the contraction of let us, it is often followed in informal speech and writing by redundant or appositional pronouns: Let's us plan a picnic. Let's you and I (or me) get together tomorrow. Both Let's you and me and Let's you and I occur in the relaxed speech of educated speakers. The former conforms to the traditional rules of grammar; the latter, nonetheless, occurs more frequently. See also leave 1 .
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To let go
let 1   (lět)   
v.   let, let·ting, lets

v.   tr.
  1. To give permission or opportunity to; allow: I let them borrow the car. The inheritance let us finally buy a house. See Usage Note at leave1.

  2. To cause to; make: Let the news be known.

    1. Used as an auxiliary in the imperative to express a command, request, or proposal: Let's finish the job! Let x equal y.

    2. Used as an auxiliary in the imperative to express a warning or threat: Just let her try!

  3. To permit to enter, proceed, or depart: let the dog in.

  4. To release from or as if from confinement: let the air out of the balloon; let out a yelp.

  5. To rent or lease: let rooms.

  6. To award, especially after bids have been submitted: let the construction job to a new firm.

v.   intr.
  1. To become rented or leased.

  2. To be or become assigned, as to a contractor.

  3. To cause to come down gradually; lower: let down the sails.

    1. To withdraw support from; forsake.

    2. To fail to meet the expectations of; disappoint.

  4. To allow to be known; admit: Don't let on that you know me.

  5. To pretend.

  6. To come to a close; end: School let out early. The play let out at 11 P.M.

  7. To make known; reveal: Who let that story out?

  8. To increase the size of (a garment, for example): let out a coat.

  9. To slow down; diminish: didn't let up in their efforts.

  10. To come to a stop; cease: The rain let up.

Phrasal Verb(s):
let down
  1. To cause to come down gradually; lower: let down the sails.

    1. To withdraw support from; forsake.

    2. To fail to meet the expectations of; disappoint.

let on
  1. To allow to be known; admit: Don't let on that you know me.

  2. To pretend.

let out
  1. To come to a close; end: School let out early. The play let out at 11 P.M.

  2. To make known; reveal: Who let that story out?

  3. To increase the size of (a garment, for example): let out a coat.

let up
  1. To slow down; diminish: didn't let up in their efforts.

  2. To come to a stop; cease: The rain let up.


Idiom(s):
let aloneNot to mention; much less: "Their ancestors had been dirt poor and never saw royalty, let alone hung around with them" (Garrison Keillor).

Idiom(s):
let goTo cease to employ; dismiss: had to let 20 workers go.

Idiom(s):
let off on Informal To cause to diminish, as in pressure; ease up on: Let off on the gas so that we do not exceed the speed limit.

Idiom(s):
let (one's) hair downTo drop one's reserve or inhibitions.

Idiom(s):
let (someone) have it Informal
  1. To beat, strike, or shoot at someone.

  2. To scold or punish.


Idiom(s):
let (someone) in on
  1. To reveal (a secret) to someone: They finally let me in on their plans.

  2. To allow someone to participate in (something).


Idiom(s):
let up onTo be or become more lenient with: Why don't you let up on the poor child?

[Middle English leten, from Old English lǣtan; see lē- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
go

  1. n.
    a try (at something). : I'd like to have another go at it, if I can.
  2. in.
    to urinate. : Jimmy's gonna go in his pants!
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

let  (v.)
O.E. lætan "to allow, let go, bequeath, leave," also "to rent" (class VII strong verb; past tense let, pp. læten), from P.Gmc. *lætan (cf. O.S. latan, O.Fris. leta, Du. laten, Ger. lassen, Goth. letan "to leave, let"), from PIE *le(i)d- "to leave behind, leave, yield" (cf. L. lassus "faint, weary," Lith. leisti "to let, to let loose"). The primary sense appears to be "to let go through weariness, to neglect." Obsolete let (n.) "hindrance" is from O.E. lettan "hinder, delay," from P.Gmc. *latjanan, related to Mod.Eng. late. Slang letdown "disappointment" first recorded 1768. Let on "reveal, divulge" is from 1637; let up "cease, stop" is from 1787.

go 
O.E. gan "to go," from W.Gmc. *gai-/*gæ- (cf. O.Fris. gan, M.Du. gaen, Ger. gehen), from PIE *ghei-, perhaps connected to Skt. jihite "goes away," Gk. kikhano "I reach, meet with," but there is not general agreement on cognates. The O.E. past tense was eode, of uncertain origin but evidently once a different word (perhaps connected to Goth. iddja); it was replaced 1400s by went, formerly past tense of wenden "to direct one's way" (see wend). In northern England and Scotland, however, eode tended to be replaced by gaed, a construction based on go. In modern Eng., only be and go take their past tenses from entirely different verbs. The word in its various forms and combinations takes up 45 columns of close print in the O.E.D. The noun sense of "a try or turn at something" is from 1825; meaning "something that goes, a success" is from 1876. Verbal meaning "say" emerged 1960s in teen slang. Going to "be about to" is from 1482. Go for broke is from 1951, Amer.Eng. colloquial; go down on "perform oral sex on" is from 1916. That goes without saying (1878) translates Fr. cela va sans dire. Phrase on the go "in constant motion" is from 1843; go-between is 1598; go-getter is 1910, Amer.Eng., but goer, with essentially the same meaning, is c.1378. Goner "something dead or about to die" is first recorded 1850.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

GO

See general obligation bond.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: let
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: let; let·ting
transitive verb 1 : to offer or grant for rent, lease, or hire : LEASE let, or encumbered> let out>
2 : to assign esp. after bids let a contract without going through the bidding process —Union Springs Tel. Company v. Rowell, 623 So. Second 732 (1993)> intransitive verb 1 : to become rented, leased, or hired
2 : to become awarded to a contractor
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

let go

  1. Allow to escape, set free, as in The police decided to let him go. [c. 1300]

  2. Also, . Release one's hold on, as in Please let go of my sleeve, or Once he starts on this subject, he never lets go. [Early 1400s]

  3. let it go. Allow it to stand or be accepted. For example, Let it go; we needn't discuss it further. This usage is sometimes amplified to let it go at that, meaning "allow matters to stand as they are." [Late 1800s]

  4. Cease to employ, dismiss, as in They had to let 20 workers go.

  5. Also, let oneself go. Behave without restraint, abandon one's inhibitions; also, neglect one's personal hygiene and appearance. For example, When the music began, Jean let herself go and started a wild dance, or After her husband's death she let herself go, forgetting to bathe and staying in her nightgown all day. The first sense dates from the late 1800s, the second from the early 1900s.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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