left
- adverb
- /lɛft/
- "If you want to go left, you must go right."
- turn left
- move left
Different types, some sway left, some sway right.
- Different types, some sway left, some sway right.
Examples
-
I walk down the long driveway and turn left toward the shopping center.
Fiction book (1990) -
Alex walked up Chester Street to Brighton Avenue and turned left, hurrying to counteract the cold.
Fiction book (1991) -
Then he walked to the end of the block and turned left, onto the main street.
Fiction book (1991) -
At the top of the track, it seemed to me, he turned left, toward the barn.
Fiction book (1993) -
Instead, Sarah turned left and went into the back of the house where Maggie slept.
Fiction book (1992) -
Drive 0.4 miles, then turn left.
-
Carrying our coffees out, we turned left and stepped inside the conference room.
Fiction book (1990) -
Hobie was silent as they drove past the trailer park and turned left onto the highway.
Fiction book (1991) -
The rickshaw man turned left on Sastry Street, pedaling a straight line toward MG Road.
Fiction book (1993) -
As she reached the corner, she chose to turn left instead of right.
Synonyms
Toward more liberal or progressive political ideas
Antonyms
Idioms
Alone without help or someone watching, a person must take care of themselves
- Informal
Being the only person who must deal with a problem after others avoid it
- Informal
In a situation where you cannot act freely and must accept someone else's decision
Compounds
The part of the outfield on the left side in baseball and the player who plays there
- Specialized
The left half of the brain that controls the right side of the body and helps language and logical thinking
Left half of the brain that controls the right body side and helps with language and thinking
- Specialized
A heart chamber on the left side that pumps blood with oxygen to the body
An area of Paris on the southern side of the Seine known for artists, writers, and cafes
- Specialized
Upper left part of the heart that gets oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and sends it to the left ventricle
A habit of using the left hand instead of the right for tasks like writing and eating
- Specialized
Main artery from the aorta that gives blood to the left side of the heart
- Specialized
A blood vessel that carries blood to the inner curve of the stomach and to the lower food pipe
- Specialized
A vein that carries blood from the top of the stomach and lower food tube to the portal vein
- Specialized
A heart valve with two flaps that lets blood move from the left atrium to the left ventricle without backflow
- Specialized
A small blood vessel on the back wall of the left upper heart chamber that drains into the coronary sinus
- Specialized
A vein at the back of the left heart that carries used blood from the muscle to a main vein
How Left
- US
Surface Forms
Etymology
Left as an adverb meaning 'to the left' comes from the same old word lyft meaning 'weak' and simply points to the side opposite the right. That's why we can also use left to talk about moving toward more liberal or progressive ideas.