lay
gb/lˈeɪ/ us/lˈeɪ/
A2
Anglais
~ 1400
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
A2
action
1
Put something down flat
To put something down so it is flat or resting on something.
Schéma d’usage :
to lay [something] [somewhere]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners often confuse 'lay' with 'lie'. 'Lay' requires an object (you lay something), while 'lie' does not (you lie down).
Synonymes
place (A more general term for putting something somewhere, not necessarily flat.)
|
set (Often used for placing objects carefully or in a particular position.)
Antonymes
pick up (Means to lift something from a surface, the opposite of laying it down.)
Collocations
lay a book
|lay the table
|lay bricks
|lay eggs
|lay the groundwork
Thèmes
daily life
|objects
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She laid the keys on the kitchen counter.
- Please lay the documents neatly on my desk.
- The workers laid the tiles carefully on the floor.
- He laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Lay the book on the table.
- Please lay your bag on the chair.
- He lays his phone next to the laptop.
- She lays her clothes on the bed.
Verbe
A2
action
2
Produce eggs (animal)
When a bird or other animal makes and leaves eggs.
Schéma d’usage :
to lay [number] eggs
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'give birth', which applies to live young, not eggs.
Synonymes
produce (More general term for making something, not limited to eggs.)
|
deposit (Technical term for placing or leaving something somewhere.)
Antonymes
hatch (Refers to eggs breaking open to release young, the stage after laying.)
Collocations
lay eggs
|lay a clutch
|lay an egg
Thèmes
animals
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Chickens usually lay eggs in the morning.
- The turtle came ashore to lay her eggs.
- Many insects lay eggs in hidden places.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Hens lay eggs every day.
- The bird lays eggs in a nest.
- Some fish lay many eggs at one time.
Verbe
B1
action
3
Arrange or prepare carefully
To get something ready before it is needed.
Schéma d’usage :
to lay [plans/foundations/groundwork]
Synonymes
prepare (General term for getting something ready.)
|
arrange (Emphasizes organizing items or plans in order.)
Antonymes
neglect (Failing to make necessary preparations.)
Collocations
lay plans
|lay foundations
|lay groundwork
Thèmes
planning
|work
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- They laid careful plans for the project.
- The engineers are laying the foundations for the new building.
- We need to lay the groundwork before starting production.
Exemples pédagogiques
- We lay plans for the trip.
- They lay the base for the house.
- He lays the steps for the new work.
Verbe
informal
C1
action
4
Have sex with someone (slang)
(Informal) To have sex with someone.
Schéma d’usage :
to lay [someone]
Synonymes
sleep with (Neutral euphemism for sexual intercourse.)
Thèmes
relationships
|health
Exemples
- He's always talking about trying to lay her.
- The movie character bragged about how many women he had laid.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He wants to lay her. (slang)
- They say he laid many women. (slang)
adjective
B2
property
5
Not professional or expert
Not having special training or knowledge about something.
Synonymes
nonprofessional (Describes someone without formal training in a field.)
|
amateur (Can imply doing something for pleasure rather than as a job.)
Antonymes
expert (Has specialized knowledge or skills in a subject.)
Collocations
lay person
|lay audience
|lay opinion
Thèmes
education
|work
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The book is written for the lay reader.
- She explained the process in terms a lay audience could understand.
- Even a lay person can see that this is wrong.
Exemples pédagogiques
- This is easy for a lay person to read.
- A lay audience needs simple words.
- He is a lay person in law.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
lay
API
GB/lˈeɪ/
US/lˈeɪ/
Syllabes et accentuation
lay (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (lay)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: lay
Verb
- Base: lay
- 3rd Person Singular: lays
- Present Participle: laying
- Past: laid
- Past Participle: laid
Famille de mots
Forms
lays
verb
laying
verb
laid
verb
Related words
layoff
noun
layover
noun
Advanced or less common
overlay
verb B2
outlay
noun
Points clés
- Irregular past: laid Verb
- Irregular past participle: laid Verb
Expressions
get laid
1/ɡˈɛt lˈeɪd/
idiom
informal
Have sex (slang)
(Informal) To have sex with someone.
Exemples
- He bragged about getting laid at the party.
- They joked about trying to get laid during vacation.
lay into
1/lˈeɪ ˈɪntu/
phrasal verb
informal
Attack or criticize strongly
To strongly criticize or attack someone.
Exemples
- The coach really laid into the team after they lost.
- She laid into him for being late again.
lay off
1/lˈeɪ ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
Dismiss from job
To stop employing someone, usually because there is not enough work or money.
Exemples
- The company had to lay off 200 workers last year.
- They laid her off after the factory closed.
lay out
1/lˈeɪ ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Arrange neatly for viewing/use
To arrange things neatly so people can see them.
Exemples
- She laid out the tools on the table.
- The clothes were laid out on the bed.
lay down the law
1/lˈeɪ dˈaʊn ðə lˈɔ/
idiom
informal
State rules firmly
To tell people what they must do in a strict way.
Exemples
- The teacher laid down the law on cheating from day one.
- The teacher laid down the law about homework deadlines.
- At home, my parents laid down the law about curfews.
- He laid down the law to his children about bedtime.