| Library / English Dictionary |
LAY OFF
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (verb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Dismiss, usually for economic reasons
Example:
She was laid off together with hundreds of other workers when the company downsized
Synonyms:
furlough; lay off
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Hypernyms (to "lay off" is one way to...):
can; dismiss; displace; fire; force out; give notice; give the axe; give the sack; sack; send away; terminate (terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lay off"):
downsize (dismiss from work)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s somebody
Derivation:
layoff (the act of laying off an employee or a work force)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Put an end to a state or an activity
Example:
Quit teasing your little brother
Synonyms:
cease; discontinue; give up; lay off; quit; stop
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lay off"):
drop; knock off (stop pursuing or acting)
leave off (stop using)
sign off (cease broadcasting; get off the air; as of radio stations)
retire; withdraw (withdraw from active participation)
pull the plug (prevent from happening or continuing)
close off; shut off (stem the flow of)
cheese (used in the imperative (get away, or stop it))
call it a day; call it quits (stop doing what one is doing)
break (give up)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s VERB-ing
