let

VERB

[/lɛt/]

to allow or permit someone to do something

💡 Concept

A mother lets her daughter help with baking cookies

🎵 Rhyme

Let the net help you get!

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/lɛt/

🇬🇧 UK/lɛt/

🌳Etymology

Rootlet

Origin

Let derives from Old English lǣtan, meaning 'to leave' or 'to allow'. This ancient verb originated from the common Germanic ancestor and is cognate with similar forms across Germanic languages, reflecting its deep roots in Proto-Germanic.

Breakdown

Old English lǣtan → Middle English leten → Modern English let. The word's core meaning shifted from 'to leave behind' to the primary modern sense of 'to permit or allow'.

🎵Rhyme

getsetbetmetnetpetwet

get

set

bet

met

net

pet

wet

🔗Collocations

let go

let down

let in

let out

let alone

let's see

let me know

📝Examples

“Mom, please let me stay up late tonight!”

😄 Fun example

“Let sleeping dogs lie, especially if they snore like my dad.”

“Let's not let this opportunity slip away.”

“I can't even afford a sandwich, let alone a fancy dinner.”

😄 Fun example

“They decided to let their house to a family of circus performers.”

📚Related Words

Synonyms

allowpermitenableauthorizegrant

Antonyms

forbidprohibitprevent

leaserentpermissionallowanceauthorization

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let — to allow or permit someone to do something

Example Sentences

let