let go

let yourself go

1. to relax completely and enjoy yourself. It's a party - let yourself go! I think she finds it difficult to let herself go.

2. to take less care of your appearance. She's really let herself go since she split up with her husband.

See also: let

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let (something) go

1. to stop trying to control something. Once it's published, you can say you should have done this or that, but it's too late — you have to let it go. She kept doing the scene over until she finally let everything go, and then she did it perfectly. Family members have to learn to let go when someone is dying.

2. to stop having something. Even though these stocks are now worthless, I can't let them go.

3. to not take action. Some of the pictures were out of focus, but I let it go, thinking it might have been my fault and not the developers.

See also: let

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let someone go

to end someone's employment. It was too bad that we had to let him go. The company has let go about 70 contract engineers.

See also: let

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let yourself go

1. to behave in a relaxed and free manner. I got out on the dance floor and just let myself go.

2. to take less care of your appearance. He's gained a lot of weight lately, and kind of let himself go.

See also: let

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let go (of someone/something)

to stop holding someone or something. The little boy let go of the string and his balloon drifted high above the trees. He was holding onto the hand of his boss's wife, and even when his boss walked in he didn't let go.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of let someone or something go (= to stop preventing someone or something from leaving)

See also: let