Leave — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈlēv/

Meaning & Definition of Leave

Leave (verb)

  1. bequeath, devise
  2. to have remaining after one's death
  3. to cause to remain as a trace or aftereffect
  4. leaf

Leave (noun)

  1. permission to do something
  2. authorized especially extended absence from duty or employment
  3. an act of leaving, departure

Leave (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause to remain behind

    "you can leave your lunch in the refrigerator while we're outside"

    "starry-eyed lovers who promise never to leave one another"

    similar: abandon, desert, forsake, maroon, quit, strand, walk away from, walk out on
    related: discard, ditch, dump, fling, jettison, junk, scrap, shed, shuck (off), throw away, throw out, deliver, give up, hand over, relinquish, surrender, yield, escape, retreat (from), take off (from), vacate, withdraw (from), abjure, cut off, disown, reject, renounce, repudiate, separate (from), sacrifice, distance, disregard, forget, ignore, neglect
    opposite: reclaim
    near: harbor, have, hold, keep, own, possess, reserve, retain, withhold, redeem, rescue, save

  2. to give by means of a will

    "I'm going to leave all of my possessions to my children"

    similar: bequeath, will
    related: deed, hand down, hand on, pass (down), devise

  3. to give up (a job or office)

    "he left his job in the city and moved out into the country"

    similar: bag, chuck, quit, resign (from), retire (from), step aside (from), step down (from), give notice
    related: abandon, vacate, drop out (of), throw up
    opposite: keep, stay (at)
    near: hire (out), join, sign on (for)

  4. to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another

    "why don't you leave your watch with me while you swim?"

    similar: commend, commit, confide, consign, delegate, deliver, entrust, give, give over, hand, hand over, pass, recommend, repose, transfer, transmit, trust, turn over, vest
    related: confer, grant, assign, deal (out), dispense, disperse, distribute, divide, hand in, release, relinquish, submit, surrender, turn in, yield, bequeath, hand down, hand on, will, advance, lend, loan, furnish, supply, recommit, redeliver, retransfer, retransmit
    opposite: hold, keep, retain
    near: detain, hold back, reserve, withhold, own, possess, accept, receive, take in, occupy, take, take over

  5. to end a usually intimate relationship with

    "is there ever a good way to leave a lover?"

    similar: blow off, break off (with), ditch, dump, jilt, kiss off, kiss good-bye
    related: brush (aside or off), cold-shoulder, cut, high-hat, slight, snub, abandon, desert, forsake, maroon, quit
    near: hook up (with), take, befriend, latch (on or onto)

  6. to give permission to

    "aw, leave him come"

    similar: allow, let, permit
    related: authorize, commission, empower, license, approve, endorse, sanction, free, liberate, release, cater (to), give in (to), humor, indulge
    opposite: enjoin, forbid, prohibit
    near: deter, discourage, bar, block, constrain, curb, frustrate, hold back, impede, inhibit, obstruct, prevent

Leave (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended

    "the soldier was on leave for three days before having to report back to base"

    similar: break, holiday (chiefly British), hols (British), recess, vacation
    related: sabbatical, furlough, liberty, breather, relaxation, respite, rest, interim, intermission, interval, feast, holy day, legal holiday, idling, loafing, lounging, slacking

  2. the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something

    "the editor gave the reporters leave to follow up on their initial investigation of the senator's fund-raising practices"

    similar: allowance, authorization, clearance, concurrence, consent, granting, green light, license, permission, sanction, sufferance, warrant
    related: imprimatur, seal, signature, stamp, accreditation, certification, liberty, pass, concession, patent, permit, tolerance, toleration, acceptance, acquiescence, agreement, assent, OK, accord, grant
    opposite: interdiction, prohibition, proscription
    near: denial, refusal, rejection, revocation, taboo, injunction, veto, deterrence, discouragement, repression, suppression, ban, embargo, exclusion

  3. the act of leaving a place

    "the party was clearly dying down, and it was time to take our leave"

    similar: decamping, decampment, departing, departure, exit, exiting, farewell, going, leave-taking, lighting out, outgo, parting, quitting, walking out
    related: flight, retirement, retreat, running away, withdrawal, diaspora, emigration, evacuation, exodus, embarkation, embarkment, disembarkation, egress, abandonment, forsaking, relinquishment
    opposite: advent, appearance, arrival
    near: coming, approach, entrance, ingress

Related Entry: Leave off (verb)

Leave off is a different word from Leave. The synonyms below are for leave off, not for leave.

  1. to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

    "we usually leave off working as soon as the bell rings"

    similar: break, break off, break up, can (slang), cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, end, give over, halt, knock off, lay off, pack (up or in), quit, shut off, stop, have done with, put the kibosh on
    related: complete, conclude, finish, close (down), deactivate, block, blockade, dam, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem, call, suspend, arrest, brake, check, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch, stunt, suppress, turn back, pause, stay, abolish, abort, annul, demolish, destroy, dissolve, kill, ruin, scuttle, snuff
    near: carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep up, run on, advance, proceed, progress, actuate, drive, impel, propel, stir

  2. to come to an end

    "the snow should leave off around midnight"

    similar: break off, break up, cease, close, conclude, dead-end, determine, die, discontinue, elapse, end, expire, finish, go, halt, lapse, let up, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up, wink (out), bite the dust
    related: desist (from), lay off (of), refrain (from), give over (British), knock off, pack (up or in), break down, conk (out), cut out, stall, pause, stay, suspend, abate, peter (out), wind down
    opposite: continue, hang on, persist
    near: draw out, extend, prolong, protract

Related Entry: Leave-taking (noun)

Leave-taking is a different word from Leave. The synonyms below are for leave-taking, not for leave.

  1. the act of leaving a place

    "the leave-taking of the guest of honor was scheduled for 11 o'clock"

    similar: decamping, decampment, departing, departure, exit, exiting, farewell, going, leave, lighting out, outgo, parting, quitting, walking out
    related: flight, retirement, retreat, running away, withdrawal, diaspora, emigration, evacuation, exodus, embarkation, embarkment, disembarkation, egress, abandonment, forsaking, relinquishment
    opposite: advent, appearance, arrival
    near: coming, approach, entrance, ingress

  2. the act or process of two or more persons going off in different directions

    "the sweethearts' leave-taking was filled with tearful pauses and promises to meet again"

    similar: farewell, parting, separation
    related: departure, egress, exit, exiting, exodus, going, leaving, quitting, running away, decamping, decampment, flight, withdrawal, abandonment, desertion, forsaking
    near: reunion, arrival, greeting, salutation, welcome, gathering, joining, meeting

Related Entry: Leave (out) (verb)

Leave (out) is a different word from Leave. The synonyms below are for leave (out), not for leave.

  1. as in exclude, omit

    similar: exclude, miss out (British), omit, ban, bar, debar, preclude, prevent, prohibit, deny, refuse, reject, eliminate, except, rule out, lose, mislay, misplace
    opposite: carry, comprehend, contain, embrace, encompass, entail, include, involve, number, subsume, take in, comprise, consist (of), bracket

Related Entry: Leave-takings (noun)

Leave-takings is a different word from Leave. The synonyms below are for leave-takings, not for leave.

  1. the act of leaving a place

    "the leave-taking of the guest of honor was scheduled for 11 o'clock"

    similar: decampments, departures, exits, farewells, goings, leaves, outgoes, partings
    related: flights, retirements, retreats, withdrawals, diasporas, emigrations, evacuations, exoduses, embarkations, embarkments, disembarkations, egresses, abandonments, relinquishments
    opposite: advents, appearances, arrivals
    near: comings, approaches, entrances, ingresses

  2. the act or process of two or more persons going off in different directions

    "the sweethearts' leave-taking was filled with tearful pauses and promises to meet again"

    similar: farewells, partings, separations
    related: departures, egresses, exits, exoduses, goings, decampments, flights, withdrawals, abandonments, desertions
    near: reunions, arrivals, greetings, salutations, welcomes, gatherings, joinings, meetings

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Leave

The most common words with a similar meaning to Leave:

Chiefly British: holiday
British: hols
abandon, desert, forsake, maroon, quit, strand, bequeath, will, bag, chuck, resign (from), retire (from), step aside (from), step down (from), commend, commit, confide, consign, delegate, deliver, entrust, give, give over, hand, hand over, pass, recommend, repose, transfer, transmit, trust, turn over, vest, blow off, break off (with), ditch, dump, jilt, kiss off, allow

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Leave

Words with the opposite meaning of Leave:

reclaim, keep, stay (at), hold, retain, enjoin, forbid, prohibit, interdiction, prohibition, proscription, advent, appearance, arrival

Related Words for Leave

discard, fling, jettison, junk, scrap, shed, shuck (off), throw away, throw out, give up, relinquish, surrender, yield, escape, retreat (from), take off (from), vacate, withdraw (from), abjure, cut off, disown, reject, renounce, repudiate, separate (from), sacrifice, distance, disregard, forget, ignore

Near Antonyms of Leave

harbor, have, own, possess, reserve, withhold, redeem, rescue, save, hire (out), join, sign on (for), detain, hold back, accept, receive, take in, occupy, take, take over, hook up (with), befriend, latch (on or onto), deter, discourage, bar, block, constrain, curb, frustrate

Word Forms of Leave

Inflections: left, leaving, leaved

Derived words: leaver (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Leave

Middle English leven, from Old English lǣfan; akin to Old High German verleiben to leave, Old English belīfan to be left over, and perhaps to Lithuanian lipti to adhere, Greek lipos grease, fat

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Leave

Words & Phrases Containing Leave

leave alone, leave no stone unturned, leave of absence, leave off, leave-taking, leave a bad taste in someone's mouth

Frequently Asked Questions about Leave

What does "Leave" mean?

"Leave" means bequeath, devise. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: bequeath, devise. It has 9 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Leave"?

Other words for "Leave" include abandon, desert, forsake, maroon, quit, strand, bequeath and will. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Leave" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Leave"?

There are 202 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Leave". Common alternatives include abandon, desert, forsake, maroon, quit, strand, bequeath, will, bag and chuck.

What is the opposite of "Leave"?

Antonyms of "Leave" include reclaim, keep, stay (at), hold, retain, enjoin, forbid and prohibit. Near antonyms include harbor, have, own and possess.

How do you use "Leave" in a sentence?

Examples of "Leave" in a sentence: "you can leave your lunch in the refrigerator while we're outside"; "starry-eyed lovers who promise never to leave one another"; "I'm going to leave all of my possessions to my children".

Is "Leave" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Leave" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Leave" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Leave" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Leave"?

"Leave" is pronounced /ˈlēv/.