INDEX:
to leave a place
1. to go away from a place
2. what you say when you are going to leave
3. ways of telling someone to leave
4. to leave at the start of a journey
5. to leave a room or building for a short time
6. to leave quickly in order to avoid trouble, danger etc
7. to leave after doing something wrong or illegal
8. to leave quietly or secretly
9. to leave somewhere angrily
10. to leave unwillingly
11. to make someone leave a room or building
12. when an army leaves a place, for example after a battle
13. when a crowd of people leave a place
to leave your home/country
14. to permanently leave the house where you live
15. to leave your house and go to live in another one
16. to make someone leave the house where they live
17. to leave your country or the area where you live
18. to make someone leave a country
to leave a school or college
19. to permanently leave your school, college etc
20. someone who leaves school or college
21. to make someone leave school or college
to leave a job or organization
22. to leave a job or organization
23. when someone is forced to leave their job
24. to make someone leave a political party etc
25. something that is given when someone leaves
26. when someone leaves the army, air force, or navy
to leave a relationship
27. to leave your husband, wife, girlfriend etc
28. to make a husband, wife, girlfriend etc leave
RELATED WORDS
to leave something somewhere : ↑ PUT
to stay somewhere and not leave : ↑ STAY
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1. to go away from a place
▷ leave /liːv/ [intransitive/transitive verb not in passive]
▪ Just as I was leaving, the phone rang.
▪ I want to see you before I leave.
▪ The police wanted to know what time he had left the office.
▪ Hand back the identity card when you leave the building.
▷ go /gəʊ/ [intransitive verb] especially spoken
to leave :
▪ Let’s go.
▪ When does the next bus go?
▪ We stayed another ten minutes and then we went.
▪ I’ll have to go soon - was there anything else you wanted to talk about?
▪ Don’t go just yet - it’s not that late!
▷ go out /ˌgəʊ ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to leave a room, house, or building, especially when you intend to return very soon :
▪ I’m just going out for a minute, I won’t be long.
go out of
▪ As she went out of the room she slammed the door.
go out to do something
▪ He’s just gone out to buy some bread.
▷ go away /ˌgəʊ əˈweɪ/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to leave a place, often for a long time or permanently :
▪ I’m going away next week. Would you mind feeding the cat for me?
▪ ‘Are you going away this summer?’ ‘Yes, we’re going to Greece in August.’
▪ He’s been really unhappy since she went away.
▷ go off /ˌgəʊ ˈɒf/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to leave a place suddenly or for a particular purpose, especially if you do not explain why you are going :
▪ They just went off, without even saying goodbye.
▪ Many trainees don’t finish the course and go off and work in other areas.
go off to do something
▪ When we could not find out what was wrong with the car, Billy went off to find a phone.
2. what you say when you are going to leave
▷ I’m off British /I’m outta here American informal /aɪm ˈɒf, aɪm ˈaʊtə hɪəʳ/:
▪ Okay, I’m off now.
▪ Right. I’m off to bed.
▪ That’s it. I’m outta here!
▷ I must go British /I gotta go American /aɪ ˌmʌst ˈgəʊ, aɪ ˌgɒtə ˈgəʊǁ-ˌgɑːtə-/
said when you have to go somewhere :
▪ Anyway, I gotta go. Catch up with you later.
I must be going
▪ I must be going. I’ve got to pick the kids up at four.
▷ I must dash/fly /aɪ ˌmʌst ˈdæʃ, ˈflaɪ/ British
said when you have to hurry :
▪ I’ll have another coffee ,and then I must dash.
▷ I’d better make tracks also I’d better make a move British /aɪd ˌbetəʳ meɪk ˈtræks, aɪd ˌbetəʳ meɪk ə ˈmuːv/
said when you want to start getting ready to leave soon :
▪ We’d better make tracks, or we’ll miss our train.
▪ I think we’d better make a move before it gets dark.
▷ I’m getting out of here /aɪm ˌgetɪŋ ˈaʊt əv hɪəʳ/
said when you want to leave quickly to avoid danger or something unpleasant :
▪ Oh no. It’s him again. I’m getting out of here!
3. ways of telling someone to leave
▷ go away /ˌgəʊ əˈweɪ/:
▪ I wish you’d all just go away and leave me alone!
▪ Major Ferguson opened a window, and shouted to the waiting reporters: ‘You’re wasting your time. Go away!’
▷ get out /ˌget ˈaʊt/
said when you want someone to leave the room, house etc immediately because you are angry with them or because there is some danger :
▪ Get out! Just get out will you? I never want to see you again!
get out of here!
▪ Get out of here and leave me alone!
▷ get lost also push off/clear off British /ˌget ˈlɒstǁ-ˈlɔːst, ˌpʊʃ ˈɒf, ˌklɪər ˈɒf/
said when you want someone to go away because they are annoying you :
▪ I’ve told you before that we don’t need our windows cleaning, so just clear off and don’t come back!
▪ Look, just push off will you. You’re getting on my nerves.
▪ Get lost you creep! Stop following me.
▷ beat it/take a hike/bug off /ˈbiːt ɪt, ˌteɪk ə ˈhaɪk, ˌbʌg ˈɒf/ American informal
said when you want someone to go away because they are annoying you :
▪ Beat it, you two. I’ve had enough of you for one day.
4. to leave at the start of a journey
▷ leave /liːv/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
▪ I have to leave early tomorrow morning to fly to Detroit.
▪ Her plane leaves Hong Kong at 10.00.
▪ When are you leaving to go on holiday?
▪ When we arrived at the bus station, the bus had just left.
leave for
▪ I’m leaving for Paris on Tuesday.
leave from
▪ Coaches leave from Victoria every hour.
▷ go /gəʊ/ [intransitive verb] especially spoken
to leave :
▪ Let’s go!
▪ The trip is all planned - we’re going in September.
▪ Do you know what time the next bus goes?
▪ I’ve packed all my bags, and I’m ready to go.
▷ set off /ˌset ˈɒf/ [intransitive phrasal verb] especially British
to leave somewhere and begin a journey :
▪ If we set off early in the morning we should reach the coast before dark.
set off for
▪ We set off for Brighton in good spirits.
▷ be off /biː ˈɒf/ [verb phrase] British informal
to leave and begin a journey :
▪ I think we’d better be off now - it’ll take at least an hour to get to the airport.
be off to
▪ When are you off to Canada?
▷ depart /dɪˈpɑːʳt/ [intransitive verb]
to leave - used especially in official information about times when trains, planes, buses etc leave :
▪ The bus was due to depart at any moment.
depart from
▪ The 12.15 shuttle service to Atlanta will depart from platform 16.
depart for
▪ The 06:33 Pullman will depart from London Euston from platform 4.
▪ The train departs Waterloo at 09:00 hours on Saturday.
departure /dɪˈpɑːʳtʃəʳ/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ The departure of flight BA 121 to Milan has been delayed by fog.
▪ There are hourly departures to Washington during the week.
▷ take off /ˌteɪk ˈɒf/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if a plane takes off, it leaves the ground at the beginning of a flight :
▪ Children spent hours watching the planes take off and land.
▪ This is your Captain speaking. We are due to take off in five minutes.
take off from
▪ Planes were unable to take off from Gatwick owing to high winds.
takeoff /ˈteɪkɒfǁ-ɔːf/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ Seat-belts must remain fastened until after takeoff.
▷ drive off /ˌdraɪv ˈɒf/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to quickly start driving a car away from somewhere :
▪ Eddie ran out of the house, jumped into his car, and drove off.
▪ Someone had smashed into her car, and then just driven off.
▪ Adrian just had time to see his father jump into the truck and drive off in a cloud of dust.
▷ pull out /ˌpʊl ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if a train pulls out, it slowly gains speed as it leaves the station at the start of a journey :
▪ We got there just as the train was pulling out.
▷ (set) sail /(ˌset) ˈseɪl/ [intransitive verb]
to leave the port at the start of a journey by sea :
▪ Thousands of people stood waving on the quay as the Titanic set sail.
(set) sail for
▪ In November 1928, she set sail for India and arrived in Calcutta seven weeks later.
(set) sail from
▪ It was a bitterly cold morning when we sailed from Dover.
5. to leave a room or building for a short time
▷ nip/pop out British informal /step out especially American /ˌnɪp, ˌpɒp ˈaʊtǁˌpɑːp-, ˌstep ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to leave a room or building for a short time :
▪ I’m just nipping out to get some milk. Does anyone want anything?
▪ She just stepped out for a breath of fresh air.
6. to leave quickly in order to avoid trouble, danger etc
▷ run off/away /ˌrʌn ˈɒf, əˈweɪ/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
▪ They ran off as soon as they heard the police car coming.
run off/away to
▪ My brother ran away to South America to escape his debts.
▪ Zimmerman was so scared, he just ran off.
▪ Why did you run off like that? Was Joey nasty to you?
▷ shoot off /ˌʃuːt ˈɒf/ [intransitive phrasal verb] British informal
to leave a place very quickly, often in order to avoid a difficult situation :
▪ Arthur shot off before anyone could say anything.
▪ I’ve really got to shoot off - I said I’d be home ten minutes ago.
▷ not see somebody for dust /nɒt ˌsiː somebody fəʳ ˈdʌst/ [verb phrase not in progressive] British informal
if you do not see someone for dust, they leave somewhere very quickly in order to avoid something, especially something that they should stay for :
▪ If you tell him it’s his turn to buy the drinks, you won’t see him for dust!
▷ make yourself scarce /ˌmeɪk jɔːʳself ˈskeəʳs/ [verb phrase] informal
to quickly leave a place when something embarrassing or awkward is likely to happen :
▪ You’d better make yourselves scarce before the manager gets here.
▪ When Gary and Clare began to argue, Reg decided to make himself scarce.
7. to leave after doing something wrong or illegal
▷ escape /ɪˈskeɪp/ [intransitive verb]
to leave after doing something wrong or illegal without being caught :
▪ Police surrounded the building, but somehow the gunman managed to escape.
escape from
▪ He was one of nine men who escaped from prison in July.
escape through/by etc
▪ Four prisoners escaped through a hole in the fence.
escape with
▪ Thieves escaped with jewelry and $130,000 in cash.
escape [countable noun]
▪ The gang had planned their escape thoroughly.
▷ get away /ˌget əˈweɪ/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to succeed in leaving after doing something wrong or illegal, especially after being chased :
▪ We ran after the mugger as fast as we could, but he got away.
▪ He got away down a back alley.
get away with
▪ Thieves got away with silver and several valuable paintings, including one by Picasso.
▷ make your getaway /ˌmeɪk jɔːʳ ˈgetəweɪ/ [verb phrase]
to leave quickly after a crime, especially in a way that you have arranged :
▪ The robbers made their getaway in a stolen car, which was waiting for them outside the bank.
8. to leave quietly or secretly
▷ sneak off/away/out /ˌsniːk ˈɒf, əˈweɪ, ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to leave quietly taking care not to be seen, usually when you want to do something else :
▪ Occasionally she and a friend would sneak off during their free study hour.
sneak off/away/out from
▪ I don’t know what he’s up to, but he sneaks away from work early every Tuesday.
sneak off/away/out to
▪ Annie had sneaked out to the bar, hoping that her parents wouldn’t notice she was gone.
▷ slip out/away /ˌslɪp ˈaʊt, əˈweɪ/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to leave quietly and without being noticed :
▪ Harriet glanced around, wondering if she could slip out unnoticed.
slip out/away to do something
▪ When everyone was busy talking I slipped away to join Beth for a quiet drink.
▷ slope off /ˌsləʊp ˈɒf/ [intransitive phrasal verb] British informal
to leave somewhere quietly and secretly, especially when you are avoiding work :
▪ While the manager was away, Brian took the opportunity to slope off home an hour early every day.
slope off to
▪ ‘Where’s Sam?’ ‘I saw him sloping off to the pub half an hour ago.’
▷ slink off/away /ˌslɪŋk ˈɒf, əˈweɪ/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to leave somewhere quietly, without being seen, especially because you are ashamed or afraid :
▪ Alyssia had dumped her fiancé just two weeks before the wedding, and then slunk off to the south of France.
9. to leave somewhere angrily
▷ walk out /ˌwɔːk ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
▪ Furious by now, I walked out, leaving him sitting there shocked and white-faced.
▷ storm out /ˌstɔːʳm ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to leave a room after a quarrel in a very noisy and angry way :
▪ She yelled at me and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
storm out of
▪ He has been known to storm out of meetings on several occasions.
▷ flounce out /ˌflaʊns ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if someone, especially a woman, flounces out of a room, meeting, restaurant etc, she leaves in a way which shows that she is angry or thinks she has been treated unfairly :
▪ ‘I’m not putting up with your sexist comments any more,’ said Gilly, flouncing out.
flounce out of
▪ She flounced out of the restaurant, got into her car, and drove off into the night.
10. to leave unwillingly
▷ tear/force yourself away /ˌteəʳ, ˌfɔːʳs jɔːʳself əˈweɪ/ [verb phrase]
to leave a place or person very unwillingly because you have to :
▪ The view was so magnificent that it was difficult to tear ourselves away.
tear/force yourself away from
▪ Jake watched as police officers examined the body. It was a horrible sight, but he couldn’t tear himself away from it.
▷ can’t bear to leave/go also find it difficult to leave /kɑːnt ˌbeəʳ tə ˈliːv, ˈgəʊǁkænt- , faɪnd ɪt ˌdɪfɪk ə lt tə ˈliːv/ [verb phrase]
to feel it is extremely difficult to leave a person or place that you like very much :
▪ Kim couldn’t bear to leave Danny, and cried all the way to the airport.
▪ Ballesteros has always found it difficult to leave his home in Pedrena.
can hardly bear to leave
▪ We’d had such a great vacation, we could hardly bear to leave.
11. to make someone leave a room or building
▷ throw/kick somebody out also chuck somebody out British /ˌθrəʊ, ˌkɪk somebody ˈaʊt, ˌtʃʌk somebody ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to make someone leave a room, building etc, especially because they have been behaving badly :
▪ If you don’t stop shouting, they’ll throw us all out.
▪ They got kicked out of the bar for starting a fight.
▷ show somebody the door /ˌʃəʊ somebody ðə ˈdɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
to tell someone to leave a building because they have done something that they should not have done or because they are not allowed in there :
▪ A couple of security guards showed me the door after they saw my camera.
▪ She lost her temper, started screaming, and was immediately shown the door.
▷ eject /ɪˈdʒekt/ [transitive verb] British
to make someone leave a public place by using force :
▪ The manager threatened to have them ejected if there was any more trouble.
eject from
▪ Several demonstrators were ejected from the hall.
12. when an army leaves a place, for example after a battle
▷ retreat /rɪˈtriːt/ [intransitive verb]
if an army or group of soldiers retreats, it leaves an area because it is being defeated :
▪ Lieutenant Peterson shouted the order to retreat.
▪ In 1443, the Hungarian army advanced into Serbia, and the Turks were forced to retreat.
retreat [countable noun]
▪ Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow
be in retreat
be retreating
▪ An army in retreat can be even more dangerous than one that is advancing.
▷ withdraw /wɪðˈdrɔː, wɪθ-/ [intransitive verb]
to leave an area, either to avoid being defeated or because the fighting has stopped :
▪ As a result of the Paris peace negotiations, most American forces withdrew from Vietnam in 1973.
withdrawal [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ There are proposals for the immediate withdrawal of federal troops from the province.
▷ pull out /ˌpʊl ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if an army or group of soldiers pulls out, it leaves a place, especially because it might be defeated :
pull out of
▪ Troops began pulling out of the region as soon as the order was given.
13. when a crowd of people leave a place
▷ disperse /dɪˈspɜːʳs/ [intransitive verb]
if police or soldiers disperse a crowd, or if a crowd disperses, all the people in the crowd leave in different directions :
▪ Twenty five officers were injured when police moved in to disperse a crowd of 200-300 youths.
▪ The crowd began dispersing as soon as the ambulance had driven away.
▪ The arrival of armed police made the students disperse.
▷ scatter /ˈskætəʳ/ [intransitive verb]
if a crowd scatters,the people in the crowd leave quickly in different directions, especially because they are frightened :
▪ There was a sudden crack of gunfire, and the crowd scattered.
▪ The demonstrators suddenly turned and scattered in all directions.
14. to permanently leave the house where you live
▷ leave /liːv/ [intransitive/transitive verb not in passive]
to leave your home or the area where you live :
▪ This has been such a lovely home - I’ll be sorry to leave.
▪ He left his hometown when he was 16, and he hasn’t been back there since.
▪ Thousands of people have already left the capital in order to get away from the fighting.
▷ move out /ˌmuːv ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to permanently leave your home, usually one you rent or share with someone else, taking all your possessions with you :
▪ If the landlord raises the rent again, we’ll just have to move out.
▪ Diana and I aren’t together any more. I’ve moved out.
move out of
▪ Tom moved out of his apartment in Toronto last month.
▷ leave home /ˌliːv ˈhəʊm/ [verb phrase]
if a young person leaves home, they leave their parents’ house because they think they are old enough to live on their own :
▪ Gwen had left home at 18 to find a job in New York.
▪ The house is getting too big for us now that both the children have left home.
▪ Jane was sure that her decision to leave home and marry Joe was the right one.
▷ run away /ˌrʌn əˈweɪ/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if a young person runs away, they secretly leave their parents’ home or the place where they are living because they are very unhappy there :
▪ I ran away at the age of twelve, but my Dad came and found me at the bus station before I could leave town.
run away to
▪ At the age of fifteen, Malcolm ran away to California.
run away from home
▪ Thousands of children run away from home each year.
runaway /ˈrʌnəweɪ/ [countable noun]
▪ This hostel helps runaways who don’t want to go back to their families.
▷ vacate /vəˈkeɪt, veɪ-ǁˈveɪkeɪt/ [transitive verb]
a word used especially in hotels, on notices etc meaning to leave the room or house you have been staying in, taking all your possessions with you :
▪ Guests are requested to vacate their rooms before 12 o'clock on the day of departure.
15. to leave your house and go to live in another one
▷ move /muːv/ [intransitive verb]
▪ We’re moving tomorrow, so I won’t be at work for a couple of days.
move to
▪ We’re hoping to move to a bigger house by the end of the year.
▪ In her early years her family had moved from one town to another, and she had never felt settled anywhere.
move [countable noun]
▪ Some of our furniture got broken in the move while we were moving .
▷ move house /ˌmuːv ˈhaʊs/ [verb phrase] British
to leave your house and go to live in another one :
▪ I’m not looking forward to moving house -- it’ll be a lot of work.
▪ ‘When are you moving house?’ ‘Next week, if everything goes to plan.’
16. to make someone leave the house where they live
▷ throw/kick somebody out also chuck somebody out British /ˌθrəʊ, ˌkɪk somebody ˈaʊt, ˌtʃʌk somebody ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to force someone to leave the place where they live :
▪ Why were you thrown out of your apartment?
▪ Their landlord’s threatening to chuck them out.
throw somebody out on the street
make someone leave their home immediately, even if they have nowhere else to go
▪ She was thrown out on the street when her family discovered she was pregnant.
▷ evict /ɪˈvɪkt/ [transitive verb]
to legally force someone to leave the house where they are living, especially because they should not be there or they have not paid their rent :
▪ If we are evicted, we’ll have nowhere to go.
▪ They had been evicted for non-payment of rent.
▪ Her mother, who has now been evicted from her home too, is staying with friends.
eviction /ɪˈvɪkʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ He faces eviction because he has not paid his rent.
▷ give somebody notice /ˌgɪv somebody ˈnəʊtə̇s/ [verb phrase]
to tell someone officially that they must leave the place they are renting by a particular date :
▪ How many weeks’ notice does your landlord have to give you?
give somebody notice to leave/quit
▪ It came as a complete surprise to them when they were given notice to quit their premises within six days.
17. to leave your country or the area where you live
▷ emigrate /ˈemɪgreɪt, ˈeməgreɪt/ [intransitive verb]
to leave your own country to live permanently in another country, especially one which is far away :
▪ Millie’s brother Dennis, and his wife Joan, decided to emigrate the following year.
emigrate to
▪ They later got married and emigrated to Australia in 1936.
emigrate from
▪ My parents emigrated from Britain to New Zealand just before I was born.
emigration /ˌemɪˈgreɪʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ A major reason for emigration was the higher salaries that could be earned in some other countries.
▷ migrate /maɪˈgreɪtǁˈmaɪgreɪt/ [intransitive verb]
if people, birds, or animals migrate, they leave their country or area in large numbers, but usually only for a limited period, in order to find food, warmer weather etc :
▪ How do birds know when to migrate, and how do they find their way back home?
migrate to
▪ Where there are areas of high unemployment, workers tend to migrate to other, wealthier parts of the country.
migration /maɪˈgreɪʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ Dr Baker has made detailed studies of the migration patterns of many birds.
migrant /ˈmaɪgrənt/ [countable noun]
someone who migrates: :
▪ The migrants travelled many miles before finally finding a suitable place to settle.
▷ exodus /ˈeksədəs/ [singular noun]
the movement of a large number of people who leave their country, city etc because they do not want to live there any longer, or because it is not safe for them to stay :
▪ The exodus of refugees continued throughout the autumn.
mass exodus
when almost everyone leaves
▪ The island is facing a mass exodus of its young people.
18. to make someone leave a country
▷ expel /ɪkˈspel/ [transitive verb]
to make a foreigner leave a country because they have broken the law, or for political reasons :
▪ The new government banned books, seized passports, expelled foreigners, and legalized detention without trial.
expel from
▪ Two foreign diplomats were expelled form Ethiopia on March 31.
expulsion /ɪkˈspʌlʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ When war was announced the government called for the immediate expulsion of all foreign journalists from the country.
▷ deport /dɪˈpɔːʳt/ [transitive verb]
if the authorities in a country deport a foreign person or a member of a particular race who is living in that country, they force them to leave :
deport to
▪ The man has been deported back to the Irish Republic where he will face terrorism charges.
deport from
▪ Several football supporters were deported from Italy during the World Cup.
deportation /ˌdiːpɔːʳˈteɪʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ The US government has ordered his deportation.
▷ extradite /ˈekstrədaɪt/ [transitive verb]
to officially send someone back to another country where they are believed to have committed a crime, in order to be tried in a court of law :
▪ The drug baron was extradited to the United States from Colombia.
▪ Spanish authorities are seeking to have the couple extradited to answer further charges.
extradition /ˌekstrəˈdɪʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ The US government is seeking the extradition of the two men to face charges in the 2001 hijacking attacks.
▷ repatriate /riːˈpætrieɪtǁriːˈpeɪ-/ [transitive verb]
to officially send someone back to their home country, often by force and against their will :
▪ Italy is using military helicopters to repatriate 292 Albanian refugees.
▪ There was to be a cease-fire, and all prisoners of war were to be repatriated.
repatriation /ˌriːpætriˈeɪʃ ə nǁ-peɪ-/ [uncountable noun]
▪ A spokesman said that forced repatriation was unlikely to start before November.
▷ exile/send into exile /ˈeksaɪl, ˌsend ɪntʊ ˈeksaɪl/ [transitive verb]
to make someone leave their country for political reasons, for example because they oppose the government and are fighting against it :
▪ The leader of the coup was exiled and the others imprisoned.
▪ The Prince and his family were sent into exile after the revolution.
exile [countable noun]
▪ a radio station run by Cuban exiles in the United States
live/be in exile [verb phrase]
▪ For many years she lived in exile in France.
▷ banish /ˈbænɪʃ/ [transitive verb]
to send someone away permanently from their country or from the area where they live, as an official punishment :
banish to
▪ Napoleon was banished to the island of St Helena in 1815.
19. to permanently leave your school, college etc
▷ leave /liːv/ [intransitive/transitive verb not in passive]
▪ I hated school and couldn’t wait to leave.
▪ I worked in an office when I first left school.
▪ In the past, girls tended to leave full-time education earlier than boys.
▷ graduate /ˈgrædʒueɪt/ [intransitive verb]
to successfully finish your studies at a university or at an American high school or college :
▪ What are you going to do after you graduate?
▪ When I graduate I want to study law at the Northeastern university.
graduate from
▪ We both graduated from the same high school in Queens.
▷ drop out /ˌdrɒp ˈaʊtǁˌdrɑːp-/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to leave school, college, or university before your course of study has finished and have no intention of returning :
college/high-school dropout
▪ One third of the city’s students drop out before graduation.
drop out of
▪ He dropped out of art college and joined a band.
20. someone who leaves school or college
▷ school-leaver /ˈskuːl ˌliːvəʳ/ [countable noun] British
someone who has left or who is going to leave school, college, or university, especially someone who is looking for a job :
▪ Most towns have a careers service to help school-leavers find suitable jobs.
▪ Fashion retailer seeks Sales Assistant - would suit enthusiastic school-leaver.
▷ dropout /ˈdrɒpaʊtǁˈdrɑːp-/ [countable noun]
someone who has left school, college or university before their course of study has finished and who has no intention of returning :
high-school/college dropout
▪ His mother is a high-school dropout, trying to raise four children on less than $500 a month.
21. to make someone leave school or college
▷ expel /ɪkˈspel/ [transitive verb]
to make someone leave school or college permanently because they have behaved badly :
expel somebody for something
▪ The principal expelled John for stealing.
get/be expelled
▪ If they catch you dealing drugs, you’ll get expelled.
expulsion /ɪkˈspʌlʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ The threat of expulsion was enough to frighten the girls into improving their behaviour.
▪ There have been five expulsions in this academic year alone.
▷ throw/kick out also chuck out British /ˌθrəʊ, ˌkɪk ˈaʊt, ˌtʃʊk ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to make someone leave school, college, or university permanently because of bad behaviour or for failing examinations :
▪ She said she’d kick us out if she caught us doing it again.
throw/kick out of
▪ Do your parents know you’ve been kicked out of school yet?
▪ He got chucked out of the LSE.
▷ exclude /ɪkˈskluːd/ [transitive verb]
to officially say that a student can no longer attend his or her school, either for a short time or permanently, as a punishment for bad behaviour :
▪ The report concluded that far more boys were excluded each year than girls.
▪ The governing body decided to exclude Declan for two weeks.
exclude from
▪ Kids who are excluded from school often end up getting into trouble with the police.
exclusion []
▪ There is concern about the growing number of school exclusions in the area.
▪ Exclusion - especially permanent exclusion - should only be used as a very last resort.
22. to leave a job or organization
▷ leave /liːv/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
▪ ‘Where’s Marcia?’ ‘Oh, she left last week to have her baby.’
▪ The directors did not want Daniel to leave, but they knew he could earn much more somewhere else.
▪ I left my last job because I couldn’t get along with my boss.
▪ Chamberlain was a Cabinet Minister until he left the Liberal party in 1886.
▪ After leaving the Navy, he started a new career in journalism.
▷ quit /kwɪt/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to leave a job or organization especially because you are not happy with it, or because you think you could do better somewhere else :
▪ I’ve had enough of the way I’m treated here -- I quit!
▪ She quite her job and went traveling in South America.
quit as
▪ Harkness quit as director of the Olympic Regional Development Authority soon afterwards.
▷ resign /rɪˈzaɪn/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to officially and permanently leave a job, for example because you are no longer happy with it, or because the people you work with do not think you are doing it properly :
▪ Nixon was the first US President to resign before the end of his term of office.
▪ I wanted to resign, but my boss persuaded me to stay.
resign from
▪ She resigned from the board after profits fell by a further 3%.
▪ Roberts replaces Jacob Winters, who resigned from the firm last month.
resign as
▪ The following years, he resigned as chairman of the committee.
resign your post/position
▪ The manager was forced to resign his post after allegations of corruption.
resignation /ˌrezɪgˈneɪʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ There have been several calls for the Chancellor’s resignation.
▷ retire /rɪˈtaɪəʳ/ [intransitive verb]
to permanently leave your job, usually because you have reached the age when most people stop working :
▪ In the UK, men usually retire in their late 50s or early 60s.
▪ If you retire at 50, you won’t get your full pension.
retire from
▪ When Jean retired from modelling, she moved to Cornwall.
▪ Jim Rutland retired from the Navy last year.
retire as
▪ He retired as Principal ten years ago, but still does a lot of fund-raising for the school.
retirement [uncountable noun]
▪ The people who cope best with retirement are those who have a number of hobbies and interests to occupy their time.
on (somebody’s) retirement
when someone retires
▪ On his retirement Mr Willis received a gold watch from his colleagues.
take early retirement
retire at a younger age than usual, especially when your company offers to pay for you to do this
▪ The number of teachers taking early retirement rose from 7,574 to 12,343 during the same period.
▷ hand in your notice/resignation /ˌhænd ɪn jɔːʳ ˈnəʊtə̇s, ˌrezɪgˈneɪʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to write an official letter to your employer saying that you are going to leave your job on a particular date :
▪ You have to hand in your notice at least four weeks before you leave.
▪ The Foreign Minister officially handed in his resignation on December 11th.
▷ pack/jack it in /ˌpæk, ˌdʒæk ɪt ˈɪn/ [verb phrase] British informal
to leave your job, especially because you are bored with it :
▪ Look if it’s such a boring job, why don’t you just jack it in?
▪ Sometimes I feel like packing it all in and going off on a round-the-world trip.
23. when someone is forced to leave their job
▷ lose your job /ˌluːz jɔːʳ ˈdʒɒbǁ-ˈdʒɑːb/ [verb phrase]
▪ After she lost her job, she got more and more depressed and started drinking heavily.
▪ Many people won’t complain about pay and conditions because they’re terrified of losing their jobs.
job losses [plural noun]
when people are made to leave their jobs because their company can no longer afford to employ them - used especially in newspapers, on television etc :
▪ The company announced 22,000 job losses over the next two years.
▪ They’re meeting to decide how to prevent further job losses.
▷ fire also dismiss formal /faɪəʳ, dɪsˈmɪs/ [transitive verb]
to make someone leave their job, especially because they have done something wrong :
▪ He was just impossible to work with, and in the end they fired him.
▪ Harris was caught stealing, and was dismissed immediately.
▪ You’re fired!
fire/dismiss somebody for something
▪ She was fired for serious professional misconduct.
fire from
▪ When Max was fired from his job the whole family had to pack up and leave town.
▪ A New York art teacher who refused to take part in the daily flag ceremony was dismissed from her post.
dismissal [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ She is claiming it is a case of unfair dismissal.
▷ sack somebody/give somebody the sack /ˈsæk somebody, ˌgɪv somebody ðə ˈsæk/ [transitive verb/verb phrase] British
to make someone leave their job, for example, because they are not good enough at it, they are no longer needed, or they have done something wrong :
▪ We can’t really give him the sack just because he’s unpopular.
sack somebody for something
▪ He was sacked for being drunk in the office.
get the sack
be sacked
▪ He had the good luck to work in an old family firm when nobody ever got the sack.
sacking [countable noun]
▪ Thompson told how his sacking had been a terrible shock that had left him feeling completely devastated.
▷ lay off /ˌleɪ ˈɒf/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make workers, especially workers in a large factory or organization, leave their jobs, because there is not enough work for them to do, or not enough money to pay their wages :
lay off somebody/lay somebody off
▪ 3000 car workers have been laid off at the factory in Cleveland.
▷ make somebody redundant /ˌmeɪk somebody rɪˈdʌndənt/ [verb phrase] British
to make someone leave their job, and usually pay them some money to do so, because they are no longer needed :
▪ At least 2,000 computer programmers have been made redundant in the past year.
▪ We lost our home when my husband was made redundant five years ago.
▷ redundancy /rɪˈdʌndənsi/ [countable/uncountable noun] British
a situation in which someone has to leave their job, and is usually paid some money to do so, because they are no longer needed by their company :
▪ These redundancies are necessary for the company to be able to survive.
▪ The board are planning a restructuring which could mean hundreds of redundancies.
voluntary redundancy
when a company asks workers if they want to leave their jobs, and offers to pay them money to do so
▪ We hope to achieve staffing cuts through voluntary redundancy and a freeze on recruitment.
▷ suspend /səˈspend/ [transitive verb]
to make someone leave a job or organization temporarily, either as a punishment for doing something wrong, or while the organization tries to find out whether they have done something wrong or not :
▪ Two senior officials have been suspended on full pay pending a second internal inquiry.
suspend from
▪ The Police Department has suspended six officers from duty while they investigate claims of fraud and corruption.
▷ give somebody (their) notice /ˌgɪv somebody (ðeəʳ) ˈnəʊtə̇s/ [verb phrase]
to tell someone that they must leave their job, either immediately or in a week, a month etc :
▪ The company are planning to close down, and we’ve all been given two weeks’ notice.
▪ In the course of restructuring, over half the workforce were given their notice.
▷ relieve somebody of their duties/post /rɪˌliːv somebody əv ðeəʳ ˈdjuːtiz, ˈpəʊstǁ-ˈduː-/ [verb phrase]
if someone with an important official job is relieved of their duties or post, their job is taken away from them, especially for a short time because people think they have done something very bad and this is being checked :
▪ The Chief Inspector has been relieved of his duties pending another investigation by fellow officers.
▪ The authorities have decided to relieve the professor of his post at the university until further notice, after complaints were made by one of his female students.
24. to make someone leave a political party etc
▷ expel /ɪkˈspel/ [transitive verb]
to officially make someone leave an organization, especially because they have done something wrong or harmful to the organization :
▪ They threatened to expel him if he didn’t follow the party line.
expel from
▪ In May the Nationalists were expelled from the government.
▷ throw/kick out also chuck out British /ˌθrəʊ, ˌkɪk ˈaʊt, ˌtʃʌk ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to officially make someone leave an organization, especially because they have done something wrong or harmful to the organization :
▪ At the age of fourteen she was kicked out of the Young Communist League.
▪ They are relying on the fact that Britain cannot be thrown out of the European Union.
25. something that is given when someone leaves
▷ leaving also farewell American /ˈliːvɪŋ, feəʳˈwel/ [adjective only before noun]
leaving party/present/gift/card etc
a party etc that is arranged for or given to someone who is leaving their job :
▪ Are you going to Katie’s leaving party on Friday?
▪ She received a beautiful Waterford Crystal clock as a farewell present from all her colleagues.
▷ farewell /ˌfeəʳˈwel◂/ [adjective only before noun]
farewell speech/dinner etc
a speech, dinner etc that happens because someone is leaving somewhere, especially when this is a formal or officially organized event :
▪ A farewell dinner was given in her honour.
▪ Eisenhower’s farewell address to the American people
26. when someone leaves the army, air force, or navy
▷ desert /dɪˈzɜːʳt/ [intransitive verb]
to leave the army, air force, or navy without permission :
▪ The three men had tried to desert, but were brought back to camp and shot.
desert from
▪ He obtained the grenades from a friend who had deserted from the army.
desertion /dɪˈzɜːʳʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ The punishment for desertion leaving the army etc without permission was death.
deserter [countable noun]
▪ a US Army deserter
▷ go AWOL /gəʊ ˌeɪ ˌdʌb ə ljuː əʊ ˈel, ˈeɪwɒlǁ-ˈeɪwɔːl/ [verb phrase] informal
to leave your army unit without permission, often for a short period of time :
▪ He went AWOL while on duty in Northern Ireland.
▷ discharge /dɪsˈtʃɑːʳdʒ/ [transitive verb]
to allow or force someone to leave the army, air force, or navy :
▪ When Danny was discharged in 1961, he went to Los Angeles, looking for work.
discharge from
▪ He lost both his legs in an explosion and was discharged from the navy.
discharge /ˈdɪstʃɑːʳdʒ/ [countable noun]
official permission to leave :
▪ Tony wanted to get married as soon as he got his discharge from the army.
27. to leave your husband, wife, girlfriend etc
▷ leave /liːv/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
▪ She promised faithfully that she would never leave him.
leave somebody for somebody else
▪ Simon has left me for his secretary, after fifteen years of marriage.
▷ walk out /ˌwɔːk ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to suddenly leave your husband, wife, girlfriend etc in a way that they think is unfair :
▪ I was three months pregnant when Peter walked out.
walk out on
▪ She remembered the day her father had walked out on them and how her mother had just sat on the stairs and cried.
▷ run/go off with /ˌrʌn, ˌgəʊ ˈɒf wɪð/ []
to suddenly leave your husband or wife in order to live with someone else and have a sexual relationship with them :
▪ His wife ran off with one of the doctors at the hospital.
▷ desert /dɪˈzɜːʳt/ [transitive verb]
to leave your family, husband, children etc to avoid the responsibility of looking after them :
▪ Mrs Hasan was deserted by her husband and had to support four children on her own.
▪ His father had deserted the family when Graham was three years old.
deserted [adjective only before noun]
▪ a deserted wife with two children, living on income support
▷ abandon /əˈbændən/ [transitive verb]
to leave someone who depends on you for support, especially a child or animal :
▪ The baby was found abandoned outside a local mosque.
▪ My sister abandoned her husband and three children and went to live in Holland.
▪ a home for abandoned kittens and puppies
28. to make a husband, wife, girlfriend etc leave
▷ throw/kick out also chuck out British /ˌθrəʊ, ˌkɪk ˈaʊt, ˌtʃʌk ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to make someone such as your husband, wife etc leave because they have hurt you, made you angry etc :
▪ He threw her out when he heard she was seeing other guys.