let off
2 meanings
not punish someone, or give only a small punishment
What does "let off" mean in this sense?
Examples
- The judge let the first-time offender off with a small fine instead of a prison sentence.
- I can't believe they let him off so lightly after everything he did.
- She was let off with a warning, but she knows she won't be so lucky next time.
How to use it
The most common structure: an authority figure is the subject, and the person being spared is the object between the verb and particle.
The manager let him off after he apologised for missing the deadline.
Use this pattern to specify what minor punishment, if any, the person did receive instead of a harsher one.
The police officer let her off with a warning instead of giving her a fine.
These fixed collocations describe the degree of leniency — 'scot-free' means no punishment at all, while 'lightly' implies a very small one.
A lot of people felt the court had let the company off too lightly given the scale of the fraud.
The passive is natural and common, especially in news reports or when the authority figure is unknown or unimportant.
The student was let off with a formal warning after admitting she had copied part of her essay.
Adding a time expression signals that the leniency may not be repeated, often used as a warning.
I'll let you off this time, but don't be late for training again.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
'Let off' always needs a person as its object — you cannot use it without saying who was spared. Leaving out the object produces an incomplete and unnatural sentence.
When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'let' and 'off', never after 'off'. Placing a pronoun after the particle sounds very unnatural in English.
'Let off' requires an authority figure as the subject who grants leniency to someone else. 'Get off' focuses on the person who escapes punishment and is the subject of the sentence. Using one where the other is needed produces the wrong focus.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both everyday conversation and formal contexts like courtroom reporting. 'Let off lightly' is a very common set phrase implying the punishment was too lenient.
make a gun, bomb, or firework fire or explode
Sense 2: What does "let sth off" mean?
Examples
- They let off fireworks all night to celebrate the new year.
- Someone had let a firecracker off in the school corridor.
- Fireworks were let off across the city as soon as the clock struck midnight.
How to use it
The most common structure: a person or group deliberately fires or detonates a specific device.
The crowd let off fireworks the moment the team scored the winning goal.
When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'let' and 'off' — it cannot follow the particle.
We had a box of firecrackers and let them all off at midnight.
Short noun phrases can also be placed between the verb and particle, and this often sounds natural and emphatic.
Someone let a banger off right outside the restaurant window.
The passive is common when the focus is on the device being detonated rather than who detonated it.
Several flares were let off by supporters at the end of the match.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
Because 'let off' is separable, pronouns must sit between 'let' and 'off'. Placing them after 'off' is ungrammatical.
When 'let off' means to fire or explode something, the object is always a weapon or firework. If the object is a person, 'let off' means something completely different (to excuse someone from punishment). Check the object to identify the correct meaning.
'Let off' in this sense always requires an explicit object — it is not used intransitively. To describe a device exploding on its own, use 'go off' instead.
Usage
'Let off fireworks' is especially common in British English around Bonfire Night and New Year's Eve. In formal or journalistic writing, 'detonate' or 'discharge' are more likely to be used instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'let off' always involve a legal situation, like a court or the police?
No — while it's very common in legal and disciplinary contexts, 'let off' works in any situation where someone in authority chooses not to punish. A parent letting a child off for breaking a household rule, or a manager overlooking an employee's mistake, are both natural uses. What matters is that there is a clear authority–subordinate relationship.
Can 'let off' have a different meaning? I've seen it used with fireworks.
Yes, 'let off' has other senses — for example, 'let off a firework' means to make it explode. The key difference is the object: in the punishment sense, the object is always a person ('let him off', 'let the suspect off'). When the object is a device or weapon, it's a completely different meaning.
Can I use 'let off' in continuous tenses, like 'they are letting him off'?
It's best to avoid continuous tenses with this phrasal verb. The action of letting someone off is typically a decision or event, not an ongoing process, so tenses like the present continuous or past continuous sound unnatural. Simple tenses and the present perfect work much better: 'they let him off' or 'he has been let off'.
What does 'let off scot-free' mean, and is it common?
'Let off scot-free' is a fixed phrase meaning someone received absolutely no punishment at all. It's very common in both everyday speech and journalism, and it often implies that the speaker thinks this was unfair. You can use it in the same structures as 'let off': 'the judge let her off scot-free' or 'he was let off scot-free'.
Is 'let off lightly' always disapproving?
Usually, yes — saying someone was 'let off lightly' or 'let off too lightly' typically implies the speaker thinks the punishment was insufficient. However, it can occasionally be used neutrally, simply describing an outcome. The disapproving tone usually comes from context, especially when words like 'too' or 'way too' are added.
Is 'let off fireworks' more British or American English?
'Let off fireworks' is particularly common in British English, especially in contexts like Bonfire Night and New Year's Eve. American English speakers are more likely to say 'set off fireworks' or simply 'fire fireworks', though 'let off' is still understood in American English.
What's the difference between 'let off' and 'set off' when talking about fireworks or explosives?
The two are very close in meaning and often interchangeable. 'Set off' tends to be slightly more common when talking about bombs or alarms, while 'let off' is especially natural with fireworks in British English. Both are correct and widely used.
Can I use 'let off' in a news article or formal writing?
It's possible, and you'll find it in news reports, but more formal writing tends to prefer 'detonate' or 'discharge' for weapons and explosives. For everyday descriptions of celebrations, 'let off' is perfectly fine even in written English.
Does 'let off' always mean firing something explosive? It seems to have other meanings too.
Yes, 'let off' has more than one meaning — this particular sense refers specifically to firing or detonating a weapon or firework. The same words can also mean to excuse someone from punishment, among other things. The object of the verb is the clearest clue: a firework or weapon points to this sense.
Can I use 'let off' in the present continuous, like 'they are letting off fireworks'?
It's not wrong, but it can sound slightly unusual unless you're describing something happening in real time right in front of you. For most contexts, the simple past or simple present tends to sound more natural: 'they let off fireworks all evening' rather than 'they are letting off fireworks all evening'.
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