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Glite Dictionary
to let bygones be bygones

to let bygones be bygones

10 5.3
Forgive past fights so they do not affect the present
  • idiom
translation icon : perdonar y olvidar
  • Yesterday, a small voice inside J.B. had told him to let bygones be bygones.
  • say, let bygones be bygones
  • willing to let bygones be bygones
  • just let bygones be bygones

Let's focus on planning the Disneyland trip and let bygones be bygones.

Examples

Synonyms

to forgive
vsto let bygones be bygones
∞ 1.4

To stop feeling angry at someone or yourself for a mistake

focuses on ending anger but not always on restoring normal relations
to pardon
vsto let bygones be bygones
211 3.0

To forgive someone for a small mistake or rude act

is more about letting go personally than granting formal excuse or mercy
to forgive and forget
vsto let bygones be bygones
  • Informal
12 3.5

To stop feeling angry about a past event and be friendly again

is about ending past hurts and preventing them from affecting the future
to put our differences behind us
vsto let bygones be bygones
  • Informal
1 5.1

Stop arguing and agree to work together

is about ending past hurts and preventing them from affecting the future
to put past someone
vsto let bygones be bygones
  • Informal
7.7

Stop letting past mistakes affect how you treat someone

involves mutual release and not letting past issues shape shared future

Antonyms

to hold a grudge
  • Informal
42 4.8

To feel angry at someone for something they did in the past that hurt you

How Forgiving

to make peace
89 3.4
to forgive
∞ 1.4
to let bygones be bygones
10 5.3
to resent
248 4.1
to hold a grudge
  • Informal
42 4.8

Surface Forms

let bygones be bygones infinitive

Morphology

let + bygone + be + bygone

The phrase literally combines 'let' (allow) + 'bygone' (past things) + 'be' (remain), so a learner who knows these words can infer the sense 'allow past matters to remain in the past' — i.e. forgive and move on. Although proverb-like and somewhat formulaic, the meaning is compositionally predictable from the constituents and parallels common cross-linguistic ways of expressing reconciliation.

Etymology

Let bygones be bygones comes from the old word bygone, which meant something that had 'gone by' or was in the past. So it asks you to leave past wrongs where they are, and that is why it means 'to forgive' and move on.