let
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to allow someone to live in a house or room in exchange for money.
v.to grant the use or occupation of property in exchange for rent. This usage is common in British English.
Simple“They decided to let their spare room to a university student.”
In context“The agency specializes in letting luxury apartments to corporate clients on short-term contracts.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to allow a liquid or gas to flow out of something.
v.to cause or allow the escape or release of a fluid or gas from a container.
Simple“He let the air out of the tyres so the bike would be easier to store.”
In context“The technician carefully let the steam out of the valve to reduce the pressure inside the boiler.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a period of time when a property is rented out.
n.an instance or period of renting out a property; often used to describe the property itself in a commercial context.
Simple“The cottage is available for a short-term let during the summer months.”
In context“After the previous tenants moved out, the landlord struggled to find a suitable long-term let for the commercial space.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.a situation in tennis where the ball hits the net but still lands in the right area.
n.a serve that touches the net but lands in the correct service box, requiring the server to repeat the attempt.
Simple“The umpire called a let, so the player had to serve again.”
In context“The match was momentarily interrupted by a let, forcing the server to reset her focus before the second attempt.”
let vs allow — Allow requires the to-infinitive, while let requires the bare infinitive.
Usage let the recipient · let alone · let nature