. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
you have here. The definition of the word
will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Alternative forms
- lett (archaic)
- lettest (2nd person singular simple present and simple past; archaic)
- letteth (3rd person singular simple present; archaic)
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English leten, læten, from Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, bequeath, leave, rent”), from Proto-West Germanic *lātan, from Proto-Germanic *lētaną (“to leave behind, allow”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to let, leave behind”).
Cognates
Cognate with
Scots lat,
lete (“to let, leave”),
North Frisian lete (“to let”),
West Frisian litte (“to let”),
Dutch laten (“to let, leave”),
German lassen (“to let, leave, allow”),
Swedish låta (“to let, allow, leave”),
Icelandic láta (“to let”),
Albanian lë (“to allow, let, leave”) and partially related to
French laisser (“to let”).
Verb
let (third-person singular simple present lets, present participle letting, simple past let or (obsolete) leet, past participle let or (obsolete) letten)
- (transitive) To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).
After he knocked for hours, I decided to let him come in.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :If your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is […]
2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 27:The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing", […] and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.
- (transitive) To allow to be or do without interference; to not disturb or meddle with; to leave (someone or something) alone.
Let me be!
- (transitive) To allow the release of (a fluid).
The physicians let about a pint of his blood, but to no avail.
- (transitive) To allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent.
I decided to let the farmhouse to a couple while I was working abroad.
1965, Roger Miller (lyrics and music), “King Of The Road”:Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents.
- (transitive) To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; often with out.
to let the building of a bridge; to let out the lathing and the plastering
- (auxiliary, transitive) Used to introduce a first or third person imperative verb construction.
Let's put on a show!
Let us have a moment of silence.
Let me just give you the phone number.
Let P be the point where AB and OX intersect.
- (transitive, obsolete except with know) To cause (+ bare infinitive).
Can you let me know what time you'll be arriving?
1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter IV, in Le Morte Darthur, book IV:Soo within a whyle kynge Pellinore cam with a grete hoost / and salewed the peple and the kyng / and ther was grete ioye made on euery syde / Thenne the kyng lete serche how moche people of his party ther was slayne / And ther were founde but lytel past two honderd men slayne and viij knyȝtes of the table round in their pauelions- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
1818, John Keats, To—:Time's sea hath been five years at its slow ebb, / Long hours have to and fro let creep the sand […].
Usage notes
- The use of “let” to introduce an imperative may sometimes be confused with its use, as its own imperative, in the sense of “to allow”. For example, the sentence “Let me go to the store.” could either be a second-person imperative of “let” (addressing someone who might prevent the speaker from going to the store) or a first-person singular imperative of “go” (not implying any such preventer).
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
to allow
- Albanian: lë
- Arabic: سَمَحَ (ar) (samaḥa), دَعَّ (daʕʕa)
- Moroccan Arabic: خلَى (ḵella)
- Armenian: թողնել (hy) (tʻoġnel)
- Aromanian: alas, las
- Asturian: dexar (ast)
- Belarusian: пуска́ць impf (puskácʹ), пусці́ць pf (puscícʹ) (let go), дазваля́ць impf (dazvaljácʹ), дазво́ліць pf (dazvólicʹ)
- Breton: lezel (br)
- Bulgarian: позволявам (bg) (pozvoljavam)
- Catalan: permetre (ca), deixar (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 讓/让 (zh) (ràng)
- Czech: nechat (cs), dovolit (cs) pf
- Danish: tillade (da), lade (da)
- Dutch: laten (nl), toestaan (nl)
- Esperanto: lasi (eo)
- Estonian: laskma
- Finnish: antaa (fi), sallia (fi)
- French: laisser (fr)
- Friulian: lassâ
- Galician: deixar (gl)
- Georgian: ნების დართვა (nebis dartva), გაშვება (gašveba)
- German: lassen (de)
- Greek: επιτρέπω (el) (epitrépo), αφήνω (el) (afíno)
- Ancient: ἐάω (eáō), ἀφίημι (aphíēmi)
- Hebrew: הִנִּיחַ (he) (hinníaẖ)
- Hungarian: hagy (hu), enged (hu)
- Icelandic: leyfa (is)
- Ido: lasar (io)
- Interlingua: lassar
- Istriot: lassà
- Italian: lasciare (it), permettere (it)
- Japanese: ...させる (ja) (...saseru) (causative form)
- Khmer: អោយ (ʼaoy)
- Korean: 허락하다 (ko) (heorakhada)
- Ladin: lascer
- Lao: please add this translation if you can
- Latin: sinō (la), patior (la), permittō, sustineō (la)
- Latvian: ļaut, laist
- Lithuanian: leisti (lt)
- Livonian: laskõ
- Lombard: lassà (lmo)
- Macedonian: дозволи (dozvoli)
- Mbyá Guaraní: eja
- Neapolitan: lassà
- Norwegian: la (no)
- Occitan: permetre (oc), daissar (oc)
- Persian: گذاشتن (fa) (gozâštan), اجازه دادن (fa) (ejâze dâdan)
- Piedmontese: lassé
- Polish: pozwalać (pl) impf, pozwolić (pl) pf
- Portuguese: deixar (pt), permitir (pt), ir (pt)
- Quechua: sagii, hagii
- Romanian: lăsa (ro)
- Romansch: laschar, lascher, schar
- Russian: пуска́ть (ru) impf (puskátʹ), пусти́ть (ru) pf (pustítʹ) (let go), позволя́ть (ru) impf (pozvoljátʹ), позво́лить (ru) pf (pozvólitʹ)
- Sardinian: lassai, lassare
- Scottish Gaelic: leig le
- Serbo-Croatian: dopustiti (sh), dati (sh)
- Cyrillic: пустити pf, дозволити pf
- Roman: pustiti (sh) pf, dozvoliti (sh) pf
- Sicilian: lassari (scn)
- Slovak: nechať
- Slovene: pustiti (sl) pf
- Sorbian:
- Lower Sorbian: daś
- Spanish: permitir (es), dejar (es)
- Swedish: låta (sv)
- Tagalog: hayaan, pabayaan
- Telugu: ఇవ్వు (ivvu)
- Thai: ให้ (th) (hâi), ปล่อย (th) (bplɔ̀i)
- Tibetan: please add this translation if you can
- Tocharian B: kälm-, tärk-
- Ukrainian: пуска́ти impf (puskáty), пусти́ти pf (pustýty) (let go), дозволя́ти impf (dozvoljáty), дозво́лити pf (dozvólyty)
- Venetian: lasar (vec)
- Vietnamese: trở (vi) (literally “to give”), để (vi)
- Walloon: leyî (wa), laire (wa)
- White Hmong: please add this translation if you can
- Yiddish: לאָזן (lozn)
- Zhuang: please add this translation if you can
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to allow the release of (a fluid)
to put up for rent
- Bulgarian: давам под наем (davam pod naem)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 出租 (zh) (chūzū)
- Czech: pronajmout pf
- Dutch: verhuren (nl)
- Finnish: antaa vuokralle
- French: louer (fr)
- German: vermieten (de), überlassen (de)
- Hungarian: bérel (hu)
- Italian: affittare (it)
- Japanese: 貸す (ja) (かす, kasu)
- Korean: 임대하다 (ko) (imdaehada)
- Latvian: izīrēt
- Lithuanian: nuomoti, išnuomoti
- Norwegian: leie ut
- Polish: wynajmować (pl)
- Portuguese: alugar (pt)
- Russian: сдава́ть в аре́нду impf (sdavátʹ v aréndu), сдать в аре́нду pf (sdatʹ v aréndu), сдава́ть внаём impf (sdavátʹ vnajóm), сдать внаём pf (sdatʹ vnajóm), сдава́ть (ru) impf (sdavátʹ), сдать (ru) pf (sdatʹ)
- Scottish Gaelic: thoir seachad air mhàl
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Roman: posuditi (sh), iznajmiti (sh)
- Spanish: alquilar (es), arrendar (es)
- Walloon: louwer
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introducing an imperative
Noun
let (plural lets)
- The allowing of possession of a property etc. in exchange for rent.
1854, Charles Dickens, Christmas Stories, page 317:Then he says “You would call it a Good Let, Madam?”
“O certainly a Good Let sir.”
Etymology 2
From Middle English letten (“to hinder, delay”), from Old English lettan (“to hinder, delay”; literally, “to make late”), from Proto-West Germanic *lattjan, from Proto-Germanic *latjaną. Akin to Old English latian (“to delay”), Dutch letten, Old English læt (“late”). More at late, delay.
Verb
let (third-person singular simple present lets, present participle letting, simple past letted, past participle let)
- (archaic) To hinder, prevent, impede, hamper, cumber; to obstruct (someone or something).
- (obsolete) To prevent someone from doing something; also to prevent something from happening.
1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XXI, Chapter ii, leaf 421r:& there was syr Mordred redy awaytynge vpon his londage to lette his owne fader to lāde vp the lande that he was kyng ouer.
"And there was Sir Mordred ready awaiting upon his landing, to let his own father to land upon the land that he was king over."
1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts viij:And as they went on their waye, they cam unto a certayne water, and the gelded man sayde: Se here is water, what shall lett me to be baptised?
- (obsolete) To tarry or delay.
1826, Early Metrical Tales; Including the History of Sir Egeir, Sir Gryme, and Sir Gray-Steill, Edinburgh, The History of Sir Eger, Sir Grahame, And Sir Gray-Steel, page 7:And for that strake I would not let, / Another upon him soon I set, […]
Noun
let (plural lets)
- An obstacle or hindrance.
1552 June 22 (Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, Augustine Bernher, compiler, “Sermon XXV. Preached on the Twenty First Sunday after Trinity.”, in The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, Master Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester. , volume II, London: J. Scott, , published 1758, →OCLC, page 541:[E]ver conſider vvhether our doings be to the let of our ſalvation or not.
1567, Ovid, “The Third Booke”, in Arthur Golding, transl., The XV. Bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, Entytuled Metamorphosis, , London: Willyam Seres , →OCLC, lines 60–61:And Cadmus saw his campanie make tarience in that sort / He marveld what should be their let, and went to seeke them out.
- (tennis) The hindrance caused by the net during serve, only if the ball falls legally.
Derived terms
Translations
hindrance caused by the net during serve at tennis
References
Anagrams
Czech
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *letъ.
Noun
let m inan
- flight (the act of flying)
Declension
Declension of let (hard masculine inanimate)
Related terms
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Noun
let n
- genitive plural of léto
Further reading
- let in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
- let in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989
- let in Internetová jazyková příručka
Danish
Etymology 1
From Old Norse léttr, from Proto-Germanic *linhtaz, cognate with Swedish lätt, English light and German leicht.
Pronunciation
Adjective
let (plural and definite singular attributive lette)
- light (not heavy)
- easy
- slight
- mild
Inflection
Inflection of let
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Positive
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Comparative
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Superlative
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Indefinte common singular
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let
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lettere
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lettest2
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Indefinite neuter singular
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let
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lettere
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lettest2
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Plural
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lette
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lettere
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lettest2
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Definite attributive1
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lette
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lettere
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letteste
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1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. 2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.
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Synonyms
References
Adverb
let
- lightly
- easily
- slightly
- mildly
Etymology 2
Abbreviation of letmælk.
Pronunciation
Noun
let c (singular definite letten, plural indefinite let)
- low-fat milk
Declension
References
Etymology 3
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Pronunciation
Verb
let
- imperative of lette
Etymology 4
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Pronunciation
Verb
let
- past participle of le
Dutch
Pronunciation
Verb
let
- inflection of letten:
- first/second/third-person singular present indicative
- imperative
Anagrams
French
Etymology
Borrowed from English let.
Pronunciation
Interjection
let
- (tennis) indicates a let on service
Further reading
Friulian
Etymology
From Latin lēctus, perfect passive participle of legō.
Verb
let
- past participle of lei (“read”)
Gothic
Romanization
lēt
- Romanization of 𐌻𐌴𐍄
Irish
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Contraction
let (triggers lenition)
- (Munster) Contraction of le do (“with your sg”).
- let thoil ― please
Related terms
Irish preposition contractions
Basic form
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Contracted with
|
Copular forms
|
an (“the sg”) |
na (“the pl”) |
mo (“my”) |
do (“your”) |
a (“his, her, their; which (present)”) |
ár (“our”) |
ar (“which (past)”) |
(before consonant) |
(present/future before vowel) |
(past/conditional before vowel)
|
de (“from”) |
den |
de na desna* |
de mo dem* |
de do ded*, det* |
dá
|
dár |
dar |
darb |
darbh
|
do (“to, for”) |
don |
do na dosna* |
do mo dom* |
do do dod*, dot* |
dá
|
dár |
dar |
darb |
darbh
|
faoi (“under, about”) |
faoin |
faoi na |
faoi mo |
faoi do |
faoina |
faoinár
|
faoinar |
faoinarb |
faoinarbh
|
i (“in”) |
sa, san |
sna |
i mo im* |
i do id*, it* |
ina |
inár
|
inar |
inarb |
inarbh
|
le (“with”) |
leis an |
leis na |
le mo lem* |
le do led*, let* |
lena |
lenár
|
lenar |
lenarb |
lenarbh
|
ó (“from, since”) |
ón |
ó na ósna* |
ó mo óm* |
ó do ód*, ót* |
óna |
ónár
|
ónar |
ónarb |
ónarbh
|
trí (“through”) |
tríd an |
trí na |
trí mo |
trí do |
trína |
trínár
|
trínar |
trínarb |
trínarbh
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*Dialectal.
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Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology 1
From Old Norse litr (“colour”), related to líta (“to see”).
Noun
let m (definite singular leten, indefinite plural leter, definite plural letene)
- colour
Synonyms
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Verb
let
- imperative of lete
References
- “let” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology 1
From Old Norse litr (“colour”), from Proto-Germanic *wlitiz, *wlituz. Related to Old Norse líta (“to see”).
Alternative forms
Noun
let m (definite singular leten, indefinite plural leter or letar, definite plural letene or letane)
- colour
- Synonym: farge
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Verb
let
- present tense of la
- present of lata
- past tense of la
- past of lata
Etymology 3
Verb
let
- imperative of leta
Further reading
- “let” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Anagrams
Serbo-Croatian
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *letъ.
Pronunciation
Noun
lȇt m (Cyrillic spelling ле̑т)
- flight
Declension
Related terms
References
- “let” in Hrvatski jezični portal
Slovene
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic *letъ.
Pronunciation
Noun
lȅt m inan
- flight
Inflection
Tok Pisin
Etymology
From English leather.
Noun
let
- leather
- strap (of leather)
- belt