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Glite Dictionary
👐 To release 💼 To fire 😌 To relax
to let go

to let go

852 3.8
To stop employing someone so they lose their job
  • phrasal verb
  • /lɛt ɡoʊ/
translation icon : despedir
  • Because business is so bad, I have to let go of some employees.
  • let go of employees
  • let go of workers

Do you think that the president let John Bolton go because he wanted to?

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Examples

  • I have to let you go.

    Absolution (2024)

  • It's a common occurrence at all types of companies: supervisors decide to let an employee go.

    Academic text (2007)

  • I just wanted to talk to you about having to let go some of them.

    Silicon Valley Girl

  • In many cases, they have let go of factory workers.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Do you think that the president let John Bolton go because he wanted to?

    ReasonTV

  • Bauerlein now answers his own phone after having to let two assistants go.

    Academic text (2010)

  • After the review, the manager decided to let go a few staff members.

  • In the meeting, she announced they would let go of workers who were not meeting expectations.

Synonyms

to remove
vsto let go
∞ 1.5

To move something or someone away from a place

is a more idiomatic, softer way to refer to that removal
to fire
vsto let go
∞ 2.8

To officially make someone leave their job

is a less blunt, more conversational expression for the same outcome
to kick out
vsto let go
512 3.0

Force someone to leave a place or group

focuses on job ending without implying physical expulsion or force
to throw out
vsto let go
236 3.0

To force someone to leave a place, job, or group

is specifically used to talk about ending employment in neutral tone
to discharge
vsto let go
  • Formal
100 4.4

Officially release someone from a duty, job, or responsibility

is an everyday phrase that does not imply formal release process
to terminate
vsto let go
  • Formal
90 5.5

To make someone stop working for a company

is a more casual phrase without formal procedure implication
to lay off
vsto let go
87 3.3

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

is the general phrase for ending employment, not implying reason
to dismiss
vsto let go
70 3.3

To remove someone from their job

is the informal, everyday label for that official action
to send away
vsto let go
43 3.0

Make someone leave a job or group because of a problem

is more casual and commonly used for ending employment broadly
to sack
vsto let go
  • UK
37 3.5

To make someone leave their job

is a more casual, everyday way to describe that same removal
to boot out
vsto let go
  • Informal
15 5.8

Force someone to leave a job or organization suddenly

is used more gently to describe ending someone's job
to give (someone) the boot
vsto let go
  • Informal
12 7.4

To stop someone from working at their job, usually because of bad work or behavior

is a more neutral and less slangy way to say the same thing
to give the heave-ho
vsto let go
  • Informal
4 8.5

To tell someone to leave their job or to stop using something

is a more neutral expression for removing someone from work
to send someone packing
vsto let go
  • Informal
4 7.9

Make someone leave quickly and forcefully

describes the same departure but in everyday, less forceful wording
to get the sack
vsto let go
  • UK
2 4.8

Lose your job because your employer fires you

names the same outcome but used more generally and neutrally
to give notice
vsto let go
  • Formal
2 4.1

Formally tell an employee that their job will end

is an informal way to describe ending employment without formality
to get the chop
vsto let go
  • UK
1 8.6

Lose your job, often suddenly

is a neutral phrase not emphasizing surprise or suddenness
to give (someone) the sack
vsto let go
  • UK
1 5.2

To make someone leave their job, often as punishment or during job cuts

is a milder, conversational expression for ending employment
to sack someone
vsto let go
  • UK
4.8

To stop employing someone, often suddenly as punishment

is a softer, more general way to describe ending employment
to give the sack
vsto let go
  • UK
5.9

To tell someone they must leave their job

is a gentler, more idiomatic way to describe the same act
to give the axe
vsto let go
  • UK
7.4

To suddenly end someone's job or a relationship, often without warning

is a calmer, non-colloquial way to refer to the same event

Antonyms

to hire
∞ 1.4

To give someone a job and pay them for their work

to retain
236 3.4

To keep having something such as a job or possession

How Harsh

to sack
  • UK
37 3.5
to fire
∞ 2.8
to dismiss
70 3.3
to lay off
87 3.3
to let go
852 3.8

Surface Forms

let go infinitive
let go past
let go past participle
letting go present participle
lets go third person singular

Morphology

let + go

The literal combination 'let' (allow) + 'go' (leave) yields 'allow someone to leave,' so a B1 learner might infer a sense of releasing or permitting departure. However, the specific conventionalized employment meaning 'to dismiss/fire someone' is a metaphorical extension and not fully predictable from the constituents without prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Let go used to mean 'to fire' comes from a polite image: an employer would let a worker go out the door. So the quiet phrase came to mean 'to dismiss someone from a job'.