let go

/lɛt ɡoʊ/◆phrasal verb

to release or stop holding

She finally let go of her fear and pursued her dream.

She stopped being afraid and followed her ambition.

literal

To release one's grip on something or someone physically.

He let go of the rope when he reached the top.

He released the rope after climbing to the top.

Commonly used in physical contexts.

figurative

To stop holding onto an emotion, idea, or situation.

She had to let go of the past to move forward.

She needed to stop dwelling on past events to progress.

Often used metaphorically for emotional or mental release.

Business

To dismiss or fire someone from a job.

The company had to let go of several employees due to budget cuts.

The company fired several workers because of financial constraints.

Used in formal business contexts.

Collocations

let go ofto release one's grip on somethinglet go of the pastto stop dwelling on past events

to keep gripping something

to stop trying or pursuing something

The meaning of 'let go' depends on the context—physical, emotional, or professional.

In business, 'let go' means to fire someone, so use it carefully.

From Middle English 'letten' (to allow) + 'go' (to move away).

The phrasal verb 'let go' can be literal (physical release) or figurative (emotional release). In business, it means to fire someone.

let

to allow or permit

root

to move away or depart

root

English Dictionary