let go

present singular third person lets go · participle present letting go

1. intransitivetransitivewith ofTo release from one's grasp; to go from a state of holding on to a state of no longer holding on.

   Let go of the phone.

   4 more examples

   You're hurting him! Let him go!

   He had one hand on the bounce bottle—and he'd never let go of that since he got back to the table—but he had a handkerchief in the other and was swabbing his deadlights with it.

   1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VI, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC

   But it wasn’t ransom enough. His captors accepted it all, But didn’t let go of the king.

   1936, Robert Frost, “The Vindictives”, in A Further Range

   Falling from cloud nine / Crashing from the high / I'm letting go tonight / Yeah, I'm falling from cloud nine

   2012, Katy Perry, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Dr. Luke, Cirkut, “Wide Awake”, in Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, performed by Katy Perry

   Synonyms: release, unhand, leggo, relinquish

2. To emotionally disengage or distract oneself from a situation.

   You are supported, so you can just let go and relax. Inhale and slowly exhale.

   2010, Gary Haymes, Go Beyond Stress

3. euphemisticTo dismiss from employment.

   The secretary didn't work out, so her boss told her she was being let go.

   1 more example

   Puel was let go in June despite leading Southampton to their first major final for 14 years and an eighth-place finish in the Premier League. But apparently his style was too boring and some players and many fans disliked his method, so he had to go – fair enough but look at them now.

   2017 October 14, Paul Doyle, “Mauricio Pellegrino yet to find attacking solution for stuttering Southampton”, in the Guardian

   Synonyms: decruit, dehire, unhire, lay off, fire, axe, can, decruit

4. transitiveTo ignore (a comment, etc.).

   Cora gave her shoulders a rebellious toss. "I'm sick of always getting oysters; I'd sooner come out with you." Bradly let that go. "You had enough money this week without getting oysters, didn't you?"

   1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 135

5. euphemistictransitiveTo fail to maintain a standard of appearance, behavior, or performance.
   1. euphemistictransitiveusually reflexivelyTo gain weight.

      Wow, dude! You've really let yourself go this time!

6. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see let, go.

   Please, Mom, can you let me go to her party?

   1 more example

   We shan’t let our old car go to anyone for less than 15 grand.