To dismiss workers due to lack of work, or to stop doing or bothering with something.
Tell workers they no longer have a job, or tell someone to stop what they're doing.
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To dismiss employees from their jobs, usually because the company cannot afford to keep them.
"The factory had to lay off two hundred workers when orders declined."
Amazon is laying off more than 18,000 employees, the largest round of cuts in the company's history.
— The New York Times, January 2023
To stop doing something, or to stop consuming something that is harmful or excessive.
"The doctor told him to lay off fatty foods and get more exercise."
To stop bothering or harassing someone.
"Will you just lay off me? I've already said I'm sorry."
To lay (place) someone off to one side; to remove from active duty.
Tell workers they no longer have a job, or tell someone to stop what they're doing.
The employment sense is standard in both British and American English and is neutral in register. The 'stop bothering' sense is informal and is often used as a direct command. The 'stop doing something harmful' sense (e.g. lay off the drinking) is informal. Do not confuse with 'layoff' (noun), meaning a period of unemployment.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "lay off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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