leave
gb/lˈiv/ us/lˈiv/
A1
English
~ 200
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A1
action
1
Go away from a place or person
To go away from a place or person.
Usage pattern:
to leave [a place/person]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'leave' with 'live'. 'Leave' means to go away, while 'live' means to stay in a place.
Synonyms
depart (Slightly more formal; often used for scheduled travel or official contexts.)
Antonyms
arrive (Opposite in direction; means to reach a place rather than go away.)
Collocations
leave home
|leave work
|leave early
|leave the country
|leave someone
Themes
daily life
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She had to leave the party early to catch her train.
- Please leave my office now.
- They will leave for Paris tomorrow morning.
- I usually leave work at 5 p.m.
- He left without saying goodbye.
Learner examples
- I leave my house at 8 a.m.
- She leaves school at three o'clock.
- We leave the park when it gets dark.
- He leaves his job at 6 p.m.
Verb
A2
action
2
Allow something to stay as it is
To not take or change something; to let it stay as it is.
Usage pattern:
to leave [something] [somewhere/as it is]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'forget'. 'Leave' means you intentionally or unintentionally let it stay; 'forget' means you don't remember to take it.
Synonyms
let remain (More formal and less common phrase for allowing something to stay.)
Antonyms
remove (Means to take something away instead of letting it stay.)
Collocations
leave the door open
|leave a message
|leave the lights on
|leave someone alone
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Please leave the door open for fresh air.
- He left his keys on the table.
- She left the children with their grandparents.
- Don't leave your phone unattended.
- Leave the cake in the oven for another ten minutes.
Learner examples
- Leave your bag here.
- I left my shoes at home.
- Please leave the window open.
- He left his book on the desk.
Verb
B1
action
3
Stop working or doing an activity
To stop working at a job or stop taking part in an activity.
Usage pattern:
to leave [a job/position/team]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'leave' with 'take leave'. The former means to stop being part of something; the latter means to take time off temporarily.
Synonyms
quit (Informal; often used for jobs and responsibilities.)
Antonyms
join (Means to become part of a group, company, or activity instead of stopping.)
Collocations
leave a job
|leave the company
|leave school
|leave the team
Themes
work
|daily life
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She decided to leave her job after ten years.
- He left the army last year.
- Many students leave school at sixteen in some countries.
- After the argument, he left the band.
- They are leaving the project due to budget cuts.
Learner examples
- I will leave my job next month.
- She left the company last year.
- He left school at 18.
- They left the team after the season.
Noun
B1
entity
4
Time off from work or duty
Permission to be away from work or duty for some time.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'leave' (noun) with 'vacation'. 'Leave' is often used in formal/work contexts; 'vacation' is general time off for leisure.
Synonyms
time off (Informal term for being away from work.)
Antonyms
duty (Refers to being present and working rather than being absent with permission.)
Collocations
annual leave
|sick leave
|maternity leave
|take leave
Themes
work
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She is on maternity leave until March.
- He took two weeks' sick leave after the surgery.
- Employees are entitled to annual leave each year.
- The soldier was granted leave to visit his family.
Learner examples
- I am on sick leave today.
- She is on holiday leave this week.
- He took leave from work yesterday.
- We get 20 days of annual leave.
Grammar
Dictionary form
leave
IPA
GB/lˈiv/
US/lˈiv/
Syllables & stress
leave (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (leave)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: leave
- Plural: leave, leaves
Verb
- Base: leave
- 3rd Person Singular: leaves
- Present Participle: leaving
- Past: left
- Past Participle: left
Word family
Forms
Related words
leftover
adjective B1
Advanced or less common
leaver
noun B2
school-leaver
noun B2
Highlights
- Irregular past: left Verb
- Irregular past participle: left Verb
Expressions
leave alone
1/lˈiv əlˈoʊn/
fixed phrase
Not disturb someone/something
To stop touching, bothering, or talking to someone or something.
Examples
- Leave him alone; he’s trying to study.
- Please leave that dog alone.
leave behind
1/lˈiv bɪhˈaɪnd/
phrasal verb
Go without taking something/someone
To go away and not take something or someone with you.
Examples
- I accidentally left my wallet behind at the restaurant.
- She left her old friends behind when she moved abroad.
leave out
1/lˈiv ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Not include something or someone
To not include something or someone in what you are doing or saying.
Examples
- You left out an important detail in your report.
- Don't leave me out of the conversation.
on leave
1/ˈɔn lˈiv/
fixed phrase
Temporarily absent from work/duty officially
Not working because you have permission to be away from your job for a time.
Examples
- She is currently on leave after having her baby.
- The manager is on leave until next week.
take leave of someone/something
1/tˈeɪk lˈiv əv sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
Say goodbye formally
To say goodbye in a formal way.
Examples
- The ambassador took leave of the president before departing.
- He took leave of his colleagues on his last day.