to lay

Examples

But it would be unfair to lay the blame on all Catholics.
And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.
Give me grace to lay my duty on your hand.

Antony and Cleopatra (1972)
Competent intercultural communication skills lay the foundation for meaningful exchanges between people from different cultures.

Academic text (2008)
Of course, we lay it on a bit thicker in the Brighton shop, they're less sophisticated down there.

Sleuth (1972)
The reasons for its eclipse helped lay the groundwork for the new dollar diplomacy.

Academic text (1999)
The teacher decided to lay the responsibility for the project on the students.
It is essential to lay the consequences of your actions before the committee.

Synonyms

to punish

vsto lay

821 1.0

Make someone suffer for doing something wrong

may apply more widely to duties or burdens not only to retribution

to impose

vsto lay

Formal

332 4.2

Officially order people to obey a rule or pay money

is the general act without the official enforcement focus

to inflict

vsto lay

245 6.2

Make someone feel pain or suffer harm

focuses on placing duties or burdens rather than causing harm directly

to stick

vsto lay

Informal

195 8.3

To force someone to accept an unwanted task or bill

is a neutral act of imposing duties without implying unfairness

to burden

vsto lay

77 3.7

To give someone a heavy load or a difficult task

also includes penalties and punishments, not only heavy responsibilities

to imponed

vsto lay

Archaic

9.9

To make someone pay a tax or accept a punishment

is the common modern form rather than the older archaic one

Antonyms

to remove

∞ 1.5

To move something or someone away from a place

Idioms

lay of the land

Informal

16 4.5

The current situation and main facts about a place or group

to lay down the law

Informal

12 5.5

Tell people firmly what they must do

to lay it on the line

Informal

3 7.8

To speak honestly and directly, even if it may cause trouble

to lay at the feet of

1 8.1

To say someone caused or deserves credit for something

to lay on the charm

Informal

1 5.8

Act very friendly and say nice things to get what you want

to lay the blame at the feet of (someone)

1 6.9

To say someone caused a problem or is at fault

to lay one's head

4.2

To find a place to sleep or rest

to lay one's tongue to

Archaic

9.8

To say a word correctly, often with difficulty

to lay on the sauce

Informal

8.4

To put a lot of sauce on food or to use too much of something

to lay the dust of controversy

Archaic

8.3

End arguments about a decision by giving a clear answer

Phrasal Verbs

to lay out

207 3.2

To explain something clearly and in detail

to lay off

Informal

102 3.4

Stop doing something that annoys someone

to lay out

100 3.1

To arrange items so they are ready and easy to see

to lay off

87 3.3

Stop employing someone because the company cannot afford them, not because of bad work

to lay down

Formal

70 3.9

Officially set a rule or law that people must follow

to lay eyes on

Informal

59 3.7

To see someone or something for the first time after a long time

to lay the foundation

34 3.9

To make things ready so something can succeed

to lay to rest

21 4.0

To bury someone after a funeral

to lay claim

18 4.4

Say you have a right to something like land or money

to lay out

Informal

13 4.5

To pay a large amount of money for something

to lay waste to

12 7.9

To destroy a place and leave it ruined

to lay on the line

Informal

8 8.0

To risk losing something important, like your job or your reputation

to lay to rest

7 5.2

To stop a worry, rumor, or feeling by dealing with it

to lay siege

7 8.2

Surround a place with soldiers and cut off its supplies to make it give up

to lay an egg

6 2.0

To make and leave an egg outside the body

to lay hands on

6 6.5

To get something, often after hard work

to lay on

UK

4 4.2

Provide or arrange things like food and transport for an event

to lay over

3 3.5

To put one thing on top of another so it partly covers it

to lay into

Informal

3 7.2

Use angry words to criticize someone strongly

to lay bare

2 5.5

To show something hidden so people can see it

to lay in

2 4.0

To get and keep extra supplies for use later

to lay up

2 6.1

Keep someone in bed because they are ill or injured

to lay hands on

1 4.6

To touch or hold something with your hands

to lay aside

1 3.5

Save money for future use

to lay into

NSFW

1 7.5

Hit someone or something hard and violently

to lay down the marker

UK

1 7.4

To set a clear standard for others to try to reach

to lay away

1 4.7

To save money or keep goods for later

to lay over

US

4.2

To stop during a journey and stay somewhere, often overnight, before you continue

to lay store by

Archaic

8.6

To value something and trust it

to lay supine

Specialized

6.2

To lie on your back with your face up

Compounds

lay-up

Jargon

5 3.4

A close shot near the basket in basketball made with one hand, often off the backboard

lay-by

UK

1 5.9

A paved area beside a main road where vehicles stop briefly to rest or in an emergency

lay reader

Jargon

1 8.6

A person chosen by a church leader to lead readings, prayers, and short talks

lay witness

Jargon

1 6.9

A person who gives evidence in court about what they personally saw or experienced

lay figure

Archaic

9.8

A model of the human body with movable joints that artists use to set and study poses

How Burdensome

to burden

77 3.7

to require

∞ 1.1

to lay

∞ 6.2

to assign

487 2.7

to ask

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

lay infinitive

laying present participle

lays third person singular

laid past

laid past participle

Etymology

Lay (to impose) comes from the idea 'to put on', so to lay a duty, fine, or rule is to put that burden on someone.

To put down

To impose

To produce eggs

A poem or song

Not professional

Examples

Synonyms

Antonyms

Idioms

Phrasal Verbs

Compounds

How Burdensome

Surface Forms

Etymology