let JUST WRITTEN FOR YOU

/lɛt/ · let
noun
  1. A lease; the act of letting a property in exchange for rent. The landlord signed a let for the apartment and collected the first month's rent.
verb
  1. To allow or permit; not to prevent. After he knocked for hours, I decided to let him in.
  2. To leave alone; to refrain from interfering. Let me alone while I finish my work.
  3. To allow the release of a fluid. The physicians let about a pint of his blood, but to no avail.
  4. To hinder, prevent, impede, or obstruct someone or something. The heavy traffic let the ambulance's progress.
  5. To prevent someone from doing something; also to prevent something from happening. She could not let the cat escape from the garden.
  6. To tarry or delay. We let for a while before starting the meeting.
Did you know? The noun 'let' meaning a lease derives from the verb 'let' meaning to allow, and it remains common in British English in phrases such as 'to let a flat'.
Written by Lexi Wordsworth, Dictionary Editor 0 lookups Added Jul 14, 2026