let go meaning: definition, quotations

let go

verb

7 senses

With of, With object before go To release from one's grasp; to go from a state of holding on to a state of no longer holding on.

3 more examples

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 nine2012, Katy Perry, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Dr. Luke, Cirkut, “Wide Awake”, in Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, performed by Katy Perry:

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:

Euphemistic To dismiss from employment.

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

To 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:

Euphemistic To fail to maintain a standard of appearance, behavior, or performance.

Euphemistic To gain weight.

Usually reflexively

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

Derived terms: let go and let God, let go by the run, let oneself go, let someone go