- leave
- I UK [liːv] / US [lɪv]
verb
Word forms "leave":
present tense I/you/we/they leave he/she/it leaves present participle leaving past tense left UK [left] / US past participle left
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1)a) [intransitive/transitive] to go away from a placeWe left London at three in the afternoon.
Your plane leaves in ten minutes.
If they leave after lunch, they should arrive by dark.
We have to leave within the hour in order to be on time.
The ship left before dawn.
leave for:They left by the back door.
She leaves for work at 7.30 every morning.
b) to go away from a place and allow someone to continue doing something thereleave someone to something:leave someone to do something:I'll leave you to your crossword puzzle.
I'll leave you to get on with your book.
2)a) [intransitive/transitive] to leave a place permanentlyleave home:She left her home town for the bright lights of New York.
He didn't leave home until he was 24.
b) to leave a person permanently because a relationship has endedThe kids were devastated when Ben left.
His wife has threatened to leave him.
3) [intransitive/transitive] to stop working for an organization or going to school or collegeHe decided to leave the company after 15 years.
At 16 he left school in order to work and support his family.
I'm leaving at the end of the month.
4) [transitive] to put something somewhere, especially in a place where it will stayLeave your things by the door.
I'll only be a minute so I'll leave my coat on.
Massage the conditioner into your hair and leave it in for a few minutes.
a) to put something in a place and forget to take it away with youI left my homework on the bus.
b) to put a message somewhere for someone else to receive laterChris left a message on your answerphone.
I'll leave a note for Leigh.
c) to produce a mark that remains after you have goneWherever ants go, they leave a chemical trail for other ants to follow.
5) [transitive] to arrange for someone to stay in a place or with a particular personleave someone with someone:I don't want to leave my mother at home on her own.
She left the children with a friend for the afternoon.
6) [transitive] to produce a situation, especially a bad one, that continues after you have goneThe previous government left the economy in ruins.
The storm left 50,000 homes without power.
7) [transitive] to make someone feel a particular emotion or have a particular opinionleave someone with something:His betrayal left her heartbroken.
leave someone fuming/wondering etc:I was left with the impression that she wasn't being quite honest.
Kate's sudden departure left us all wondering what was going to happen.
8)a) [transitive] to not do something, especially because you prefer to do it later or so that someone else can do itleave something to someone:Leave the dishes and do them in the morning.
leave someone to it:Don't worry – just leave everything to me.
"I think I can manage OK now." "Fine. I'll leave you to it then."
b) to not make a decision and let someone else make itLeave questions of guilt or innocence for the jury to decide.
9) [transitive, often passive] to not use somethingI hope you've left enough hot water for me to have a shower.
have something left:How much time is there left?
We don't have much money left.
a) to not eat or drink somethingleave someone something/something for someone:You've left half your dinner – didn't you like it?
Leave some cake for the rest of us!
b) to not use an area of somethingleave a space/gap:Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front.
10)a) [transitive] to give something to someone before you go awayLeave your pager number with me, and I'll call you if there's a change.
b) to give something to someone after you die, in a willleave something to someone:leave someone something:She left her jewels to her favourite niece.
He left her all his money.
11) [transitive] formal to have close family members who continue to live after you dieHe leaves a wife, a daughter, and three sons.
12) [transitive] to make an amount remain after taking some away8 minus 5 leaves 3
•leave someone/something hanging
— to fail to solve a difficult situation, or to let someone remain in a difficult situation without solving itIt was obvious that this issue could not just be left hanging.
leave a lot/much to be desired
— to be of a very low quality or standardI feel the quality of some of our policemen leaves a lot to be desired.
leave someone/something standing
— to be so much better than someone or something that they cannot possibly reach the same standard or levelleave something to chance/fate
— to not try to change the way that something is developing or happeningPhrasal verbs:They planned for every possibility and left nothing to chance.
II UK [liːv] / US [lɪv] noun [uncountable] **
1) a period of time away from your job or from the armed forcesTony, who had been granted leave, was home for several weeks.
on leave (= away from your job or the armed forces):You are entitled to six weeks' annual leave.
I met her while I was on leave.
See:2) formal permissionleave to do something:absent without leave:You've been granted leave to appeal against the decision.
by someone's leave (= with someone's permission):Sanchez was absent without leave from Fort Liley.
By your leave, I'll see to the arrangements immediately.
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Collocations:
Verbs frequently used with leave as the object ▪ give, grant, obtain, request, seekmaternity/paternity/parental leave
— a period of time away from a job because you or your partner has just had a babyShe worries that if she takes time off for maternity leave her career will suffer.
See:
English dictionary. 2014.
