let bygones be bygones
Syllables: let by·gones be by·gonesUK/lɛt ˈbaɪɡɒnz biː ˈbaɪɡɒnz/US/lɛt ˈbaɪˌɡɑnz bi ˈbaɪˌɡɑnz/
let bygones be bygones verb: to disregard or ignore a past difficulty in a relationship or an offence (when dealing with another individual).
Verb
let bygones be bygones (third-person singular simple present lets bygones be bygones, present participle letting bygones be bygones, simple past and past participle let bygones be bygones)
- To disregard or ignore a past difficulty in a relationship or an offence (when dealing with another individual).
- "Never mind, I'll give you a hundred dollars for it," said the king; "you did me out of horse and saddle the other day, and the bridle too, but I'll let bygones be bygones, if I get the pot."1881, P. Chr. Asbjörnsen [i.e., Peter Christen Asbjørnsen], “Peik”, in H. L. Brækstad, transl., Round the Yule Log. Norwegian Folk and Fairy Tales, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington...
- To intrude as little of his personality as possible upon a gay event with which that personality could show nothing in keeping, he decided not to make his appearance till evening—when stiffness would have worn off, and a gentle wish to let bygones be bygones would exercise its say in all hearts.1886 May, Thomas Hardy, chapter 44, in The Life and Death of the Mayor of Casterbridge: The Story of a Man of Character, London: The Folio Society, published 1968 (1996 printing), →OCLC, page 323
- Synonyms:
- forgive and forget
let bygones be bygones meaning in Indonesian
let bygones be bygones in Indonesian
- to disregard or ignore a past difficulty in a relationship or an offence
- masa lalu biarlah masa lalu
Synonyms of let bygones be bygones
Forms of let bygones be bygones
| third-person singular present | lets bygones be bygones |
|---|---|
| present participle | letting bygones be bygones |
| past participle | let bygones be bygones |
| past | let bygones be bygones |
Origin of let bygones be bygones
From bygone (“event that happened in the past”).
Questions about let bygones be bygones
- What does let bygones be bygones mean?
- Let bygones be bygones means to disregard or ignore a past difficulty in a relationship or an offence (when dealing with another individual).
- What is let bygones be bygones in Indonesian?
- Let bygones be bygones in Indonesian is masa lalu biarlah masa lalu. See Let bygones be bygones meaning in Indonesian.
- What part of speech is let bygones be bygones?
- Let bygones be bygones is a verb.
- How do you pronounce let bygones be bygones?
- Let bygones be bygones is pronounced /lɛt ˈbaɪɡɒnz biː ˈbaɪɡɒnz/ (UK).
- What is the past tense of let bygones be bygones?
- The past tense of let bygones be bygones is let bygones be bygones.
Words near let bygones be bygones in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: let bygones be bygones (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-au-let bygones be bygones.ogg.
Cite this entry: “let bygones be bygones.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/let_bygones_be_bygones. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
