Thesaurus:lay off
English
Verb
Sense: to dismiss from employment
Synonyms
- axe (figurative)
- can (euphemistic, US)
- decruit (euphemistic)
- dehire
- discard
- discharge
- dismiss
- downsize (euphemistic)
- fire
- give the axe
- give someone the boot (UK)
- give someone their cards
- give the chop (idiomatic)
- give the elbow (UK)
- give someone the heave-ho (idiomatic, UK)
- give someone the old heave-ho (idiomatic, UK)
- lay off (idiomatic, chiefly US)
- let go (euphemistic)
- let someone go (idiomatic, euphemistic)
- make redundant
- pink slip (US)
- promote to customer
- retrench
- sack
- serve notice (idiomatic)
- shit-can (vulgar)
- term [⇒ thesaurus]
- terminate (euphemistic)
- throw out (idiomatic)
- unhire (euphemistic)
Antonyms
Hyponyms
Hypernyms
Various
- be surplus to requirements (euphemistic, UK)
- get sacked
- get the ax
- get the boot
- get the chop
- get the heave-ho
- get the sack
See also
Further reading
- “678. disuse” in Roget's Thesaurus, T. Y. Crowell Co., 1911.
- “756. abrogation” in Roget's Thesaurus, T. Y. Crowell Co., 1911.
- “lay off” in Moby Thesaurus II, Grady Ward, 1996.