let go

let go (third-person singular simple present lets go, present participle letting go, simple past and past participle let go)

1. (intransitive, with of and transitive, 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.

   Synonyms: release, unhand, (imperative) leggo

   You're hurting him! Let him go!

   Let go of the phone.

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

     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.

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

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

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

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

2. To emotionally disengage or distract oneself from a situation.
   • 2010, Gary Haymes, Go Beyond Stress:

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

3. (euphemistic) To dismiss from employment.

   Synonyms: decruit, dehire, unhire; see also Thesaurus:lay off

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

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

     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.

4. (transitive) To ignore (a comment, etc.).
   • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 135:

     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?"

5. (euphemistic, transitive) To fail to maintain a standard of appearance, behavior, or performance.
   1. (euphemistic, usually reflexively) To 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?

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