Meaning of leave In English

• 0 to go away from someone or something, for a short time or permanently:

  • I'll be leaving at five o'clock tomorrow.

  • He left the house by the back door.

  • She left the group of people she was with and came over to speak to us.

  • The bus leaves in five minutes.

• 1 to not take something or someone with you when you go, either intentionally or by accident:

  • Hey, you've left your keys on the table.

  • Can I leave a message for Sue?

  • Why don't you leave the kids with me on Friday?

• 2 If something leaves something else, a part or effect of it stays after it has gone or been used:

  • His shoes left muddy marks on the floor.

  • [ + two objects ] If I give you €$50 that won't leave me enough cash to pay the bill.

  • [ + obj + adj ] Far from improving things, the new law has left many people worse off (= they are now in a worse situation) than before.

  • Leave that chair where it is.

  • He left most of his dinner (= did not eat much of it).

  • [ + obj + adj ] The family were left (= became and continued to be) homeless.

  • I'll have to go back - I think I've left the iron on.

  • You can leave the window open.

  • Leave your sister alone (= stop annoying her).

  • I left the children watching television.

  • He left the engine running.

• 3 to not eat or use all of something:

  • They'd eaten all the cake, but they'd left some sandwiches.

  • Are there any cookies left?

  • There's some food left over from the party.

  • Make sure you leave enough hot water for the rest of us.

• 4 to stop doing something, or to leave a place because you have finished an activity:

  • Many children leave school at 16.

  • He left work in June for health reasons.

  • She left home (= stopped living with her parents) at 18.

  • Could we leave that subject (= stop discussing that subject) for the moment and go on to the next item on the agenda?

• 5 to end a relationship with a husband, wife, or partner and stop living with them:

  • I'll never leave you.

  • She left her husband for a younger man.

• 6 If you leave (doing) something, you wait before you do it:

  • I'll leave these letters till Monday (= write them on Monday).

  • Don't leave it too late (= don't wait too long to do it).

  • [ + -ing verb ] They left booking their holiday till/to the last minute.

• 7 To leave a wife, husband, or other close family member is to die while these family members are still alive:

  • He left a wife and two children.

  • He left his nieces all his money./He left all his money to his nieces.

• 8 to allow someone to make a choice or decision about something, or to make someone responsible for something:

  • I left the decision (up) to her.

  • [ + to infinitive ] I left it to her to make the decision.

  • Leave it (= the problem) with me, I'll see what I can do.

  • I'll leave it to chance (= wait and see what happens without planning).

• 9 time allowed away from work for a holiday or illness:

  • How much annual/paid leave do you get?

  • She's (gone) on leave (= holiday).

  • I've asked if I can take a week's unpaid leave.

• 10 permission or agreement:

  • He did it without (my) leave.

  • [ + to infinitive ] Did you get leave to do that?

• 11 to say goodbye:

  • He decided the time had come to take leave of his home town.

• 12 to go away from someone or something that stays in the same place:

  • [ I ] I’ll be leaving tomorrow.

  • [ T ] He left the house by the back door.

  • [ I/T ] The bus leaves (the station) in five minutes.

  • [ T ] He left work in June.

• 13 to not take something with you:

  • I mistakenly left my checkbook at home.

  • Hurry up or you’ll get left behind the other hikers.

  • I’ve left dinner for you on the stove.

  • She left all her money to her children.

• 14 to allow or cause something to stay in a particular place, position, or state:

  • The dog left muddy tracks on the carpet.

  • He left a message for me at the office.

  • Leave the window open.

  • Her rudeness left us all speechless.

  • He left the engine running.

  • I’ll leave the cleaning for tomorrow.

• 15 to make something available after some part has been taken or used:

  • There are only four cookies – please leave one for me.

  • Five from twelve leaves seven (= Seven is the result of taking five from twelve).

  • There’s some pasta left over from dinner.

• 16 to allow someone to make a choice or decision about something, or to make someone responsible for something:

  • Leave it to me – I’ll see what I can do.

  • I’ll leave it up to you to choose the gift.

• 17 time permitted away from work, esp. for a medical condition or illness or for some other special purpose:

  • maternity leave

• 18 permission to do something:

  • He took it without my leave.

• 19 a period of time that someone is allowed away from work for holiday, illness, or another special reason:

  • take leave from sth I'm taking 5 days' unpaid leave from work to go to the wedding.

  • be/go on leave from sth Benefits will need to be adjusted when an employee is on leave from their job.

  • The appointee will be entitled to 38 days of annual leave.

  • Higher maternity pay and a longer leave entitlement are likely outcomes of the review.

  • adoption/bereavement/child-care leave

  • educational/medical leave

  • paid/unpaid leave

• 20 agreement or permission to do something:

  • be given/granted leave to do sth She has been granted leave to remain in the country.

  • No application should be issued without my leave.

• 21 to be told to take time away from work, usually because you have been accused of doing something wrong:

  • The director of financial aid was recently placed on leave for accepting consulting fees from a loan company.

• 22 permission to formally ask for a legal or official decision to be changed:

  • The defendant was given 14 days' leave to appeal against the decision.

• 23 to go away from a place or a situation:

  • I'm leaving work early this afternoon.

  • What time does the bus leave?

  • They left for Paris last night.

• 24 to go away from a place permanently:

  • She left her home country many years ago.

• 25 to stop working for an organization or company, or stop attending a school, university, etc. :

  • She left to go to a rival company.

  • Ben Harris? He left about a month ago.

  • How old were you when you left school?

• 26 to not use all of something:

  • Is there any money left in last year's budget?.

• 27 to do something later that you could do immediately:

  • He always leaves writing is reports till the very last moment.

  • You should try to decide which tasks need to be done urgently and which ones can be left.

• 28 to arrange for someone to receive something after you die:

  • His aunt left him a lot of money.

  • He left the house to this three children.

• 29 to stop speaking to or annoying someone:

  • Leave me alone! I'm trying to work.