lay off en · VERB · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
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(US, idiomatic, transitive) (of an employer) To dismiss (workers) from employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume or through no fault of the worker, often with a severance package.
Four months after arriving in Denver, I was laid off when the pandemic hit. I took on freelance work, whatever I could get, to cover my expenses and stay afloat.
2026 April 22, Jillian Sanders, “The Danger of Surrendering Your Financial Independence in a Relationship”, in TIME, archived from the original on 22 Apr 2026:
- (of a bookmaker, transitive) To place all or part of a bet with another bookmaker in order to reduce risk.
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(idiomatic, transitive) To cease, quit, stop (doing something).
Lay off the singing, will you! I'm trying to study.
When are you gonna lay off smoking?
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(idiomatic, intransitive, transitive) To stop bothering, teasing, or pestering someone; to leave (someone) alone.
Lay off it, already!
I told him to lay off me but he wouldn't stop.
First Xavier (Vernon Chatman): You're about as deep as a bowl of soup, and your tongue is as sharp as a soup spoon. Second Xavier (Vernon Chatman): Hey, say what you want about me, but lay off the soup.
2008, Xavier: Renegade Angel, season 1, episode 10:Things have been better since the boss has been laying off a little.
Just lay off, okay! I've had enough!
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(ambitransitive) In painting, to apply gentle strokes to smooth a wet coat of paint so as to remove visible roller- or brush-marks, commonly using a dry brush; a similar technique, but using a loaded laying-off brush, may produce a smooth coat of paint when using a roller or the usual brush techniques would leave marks.
He shows me how to lay off the paint — and moves his paintbrush across the section he had already painted, again and again.
At any pro paint shop ask for laying off brushes. These are natural bristle, wide, thin brushes designed for tipping off, not for holding a paint load. (Sourced from a web forum exchange)
- (transitive) To plan out (a navigational course) using a chart.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| laid off | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| laid off | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| laying off | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| lays off | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Antonyms
employ · take on · hire · give notice · quit · recruit · retire · leave
Deriveds
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
disbench · unpriest · strike off · defrock · disbar · furlough · unfrock · drum out · relieve · disfrock
Relateds
get the boot · get the heave-ho · be surplus to requirements · get the ax · unemployed · get sacked · get the sack · get the chop
Synonyms
dehire · pink slip · let someone go · retrench · give the chop (The following synonyms carry a harsher context than "lay off") · give their cards (The following synonyms carry a harsher context than "lay off") · sack (The following synonyms carry a harsher context than "lay off") · serve notice · downsize · hedge one's bets · give the old heave-ho (The following synonyms carry a harsher context than "lay off") · discard · lay off · decruit · make redundant (to dismiss workers from employment) · give the boot (The following synonyms carry a harsher context than "lay off") · shit-can · discharge · term · tip off · can (The following synonyms carry a harsher context than "lay off") · let go (to dismiss workers from employment) · give the axe (The following synonyms carry a harsher context than "lay off") · give someone the heave-ho · dismiss (The following synonyms carry a harsher context than "lay off") · give someone their cards · give someone the boot · promote to customer · fire (The following synonyms carry a harsher context than "lay off") · remove · give the elbow (The following synonyms carry a harsher context than "lay off") · give someone the old heave-ho · unhire · throw out · terminate (The following synonyms carry a harsher context than "lay off") · axe
Translations (43)
fi lomauttaa (to dismiss workers from employment) · hu leépít (to dismiss workers from employment) · ro da afară (to dismiss workers from employment) · pl używać delikatnych pociągnięć (painting: to apply gentle strokes to smooth a wet coat) · ca destituir (to dismiss workers from employment) · es destituir (to dismiss workers from employment) · sv säga upp (to dismiss workers from employment) · cs propustit (to dismiss workers from employment) · ro concedia (to dismiss workers from employment) · fi lopettaa (to stop bothering, teasing, or pestering someone) · fr virer (to dismiss workers from employment) · el απολύω (to dismiss workers from employment) · pl odstawiać (to cease, quit, stop) · hu elküld (to dismiss workers from employment) · pl rozplanowywać (to plan out using a chart) · fi töpöttää (painting: to apply gentle strokes to smooth a wet coat) · es despedir (to dismiss workers from employment) · es licenciar (to dismiss workers from employment) · pl użyć delikatnych pociągnięć (painting: to apply gentle strokes to smooth a wet coat) · ja 解雇する (to dismiss workers from employment) · ru увольнять (to dismiss workers from employment) · hu elbocsát (to dismiss workers from employment) · pl odstawić (to cease, quit, stop) · yi אָפּזאָגן (to dismiss workers from employment) · pl zwalniać (to dismiss workers from employment) · sv avskeda (to dismiss workers from employment) · pl asekurować się (to place all or part of a bet with another bookmaker) · fi suunnitella reitti (to plan out using a chart) · fi lopettaa (to cease, quit, stop) · pl odpuszczać (to stop bothering, teasing, or pestering someone) · bg съкращавам (to dismiss workers from employment) · es dar de baja (to dismiss workers from employment) · fi irtisanoa (to dismiss workers from employment) · pt despedir (to dismiss workers from employment) · de entlassen (to dismiss workers from employment) · pl rozplanować (to plan out using a chart) · fr licencier (to dismiss workers from employment) · pl odpuścić (to stop bothering, teasing, or pestering someone) · nl de zak geven (to dismiss workers from employment) · tr işten çıkarmak (to dismiss workers from employment) · pl zwolnić (to dismiss workers from employment) · nl ontslaan (to dismiss workers from employment) · it licenziare (to dismiss workers from employment)