lay off
The phrase "lay off" has diverse meanings ranging from employment termination to specific actions in sports and art.
Definition
B2Employment
(chiefly US, idiomatic)To terminate someone's job, often due to economic reasons or company restructuring.
Example
- Due to budget cuts, the company had to lay off several employees.
B1General
(informal, idiomatic)To stop doing or using something, often temporarily.
Example
- You should lay off junk food if you want to lose weight.
B1Interpersonal
(informal, idiomatic)To stop bothering or criticizing someone.
Example
- Lay off him, he's doing his best.
C1Gambling
(technical)For a bookmaker, to transfer part of a bet to another bookmaker to reduce risk.
C1Art
(technical)To apply gentle strokes to smooth a wet coat of paint, often using a dry brush.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "lay off":
lay awayslack offlay asideleave offlay intolay overlet offslacken offlay openlay bylaid uplay downblow offlay outlay aboutlay upwork offlay onlay backlay torack offclear offtake leaveget offcall offleave overloose offwalk offsack offlay inback offlash offput offwork awaysag offease uptake offfork offlook offbear offthrow offcut loosego offsling offlay figurecome offout of workpass off