Leaving

'liːvɪŋ

verbBeginner🔥Very CommonAction
3 meanings2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

3 meanings
1

To depart from a place or person.

'liːvɪŋ

verbneutralBeginner
Action

To go away from a place or person.

I am leaving for school now.

💡 Simply: Think of leaving like saying 'bye bye!' and going somewhere else. Like, if you're at a friend's house and you need to go home, you're leaving!

👶 For kids: To go away from a place or person.

More Examples

2

They are leaving the party early.

3

The plane is leaving soon.

How It's Used

General

"She is leaving for London tomorrow."

Travel

"The train is leaving the station."

2

To allow something to remain.

'liːvɪŋ

verbneutralBeginner
Action

Leave the lights on when you go out.

💡 Simply: It's like when you let something stay. Like, if your mom says, 'Leave the dishes on the table,' it means don't put them away yet.

👶 For kids: To let something stay.

More Examples

2

You can leave your coat here.

3

Please leave a message after the tone.

How It's Used

General

"Leave the door open."

Instructions

"Leave the cake in the oven for 30 minutes."

Tip:Think of letting something stay where it is.
3

To hand over or bequeath something to someone.

'liːvɪŋ

verbneutralmedium
Action

The artist left a legacy.

💡 Simply: This is like giving something to someone in a will, or even just giving someone a gift. If your grandma leaves you her old teddy bear, she's leaving it to you.

👶 For kids: To give something to someone after you're gone.

More Examples

2

He left his business to his son.

3

She left her jewelry to her granddaughter.

How It's Used

Legal

"She left her fortune to her children."

Inheritance

"He left his collection of books to the library."

Tip:Think of passing something on to someone else.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

leave it to me

To say that you will take responsibility for something or handle a task.

"Don't worry about the arrangements, leave it to me."

leave no stone unturned

To try every possible method to achieve something.

"The detective left no stone unturned in his investigation."

From Middle English leaven, leuen, from Old English lǣfan (“to leave, abandon, bequeath”), from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to leave, remain”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick, adhere”).

The verb 'leave' has been used since Old English times, showing continuous usage over centuries.

Memory tip

Imagine you're saying goodbye and walking away.

Word Origin

LanguageProto-Germanic
Original meaning

"to remain, to abandon"

leaving homeleaving earlyleaving behindleaving openleaving a message

Common misspellings

leavin'leavng

Usage

65%Spoken
35%Written