Adjacent Words

Loosen definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LOOS'EN, v.t. loos'n. [from loose.]
1. To free from tightness, tension, firmness or fixedness; as, to loosen a string when tied, or a knot; to loosen a joint; to loosen a rock in the earth.
2. To render less dense or compact; as, to loosen the earth about the roots of a tree.
3. To free from restraint.
It loosens his hands and assists his understanding.
4. To remove costiveness from; to facilitate or increase alvine discharges.
Fear looseneth the belly.
LOOS'EN, v.i. To become loose; to become less tight, firm or compact.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: make loose or looser; "loosen the tension on a rope" [syn: loosen, loose] [ant: stiffen]
2: make less severe or strict; "The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught" [syn: relax, loosen]
3: become less severe or strict; "The rules relaxed after the new director arrived" [syn: relax, loosen]
4: disentangle and raise the fibers of; "tease wool" [syn: tease, tease apart, loosen]
5: cause to become loose; "undo the shoelace"; "untie the knot"; "loosen the necktie" [syn: untie, undo, loosen]
6: make less dense; "loosen the soil"
7: become loose or looser or less tight; "The noose loosened"; "the rope relaxed" [syn: loosen, relax, loose] [ant: stiffen]

Merriam Webster's

verb (loosened; loosening) Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to release from restraint 2. to make looser <loosened his tie> <loosen a screw> 3. to relieve (the bowels) of constipation 4. to cause or permit to become less strict — often used with up <loosened the rules> intransitive verb to become loose or looser

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become less tight or compact or firm. 2 tr. make (a regime etc.) less severe. 3 tr. release (the bowels) from constipation. 4 tr. relieve (a cough) from dryness. Phrases and idioms: loosen a person's tongue make a person talk freely. loosen up = limber up (see LIMBER(1)). Derivatives: loosener n.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Loosen Loos"en, v. i. To become loose; to become less tight, firm, or compact. --S. Sharp.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Loosen Loos"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Loosened; p. pr. & vb. n. Loosening.] [See Loose, v. t.] 1. To make loose; to free from tightness, tension, firmness, or fixedness; to make less dense or compact; as, to loosen a string, or a knot; to loosen a rock in the earth. After a year's rooting, then shaking doth the tree good by loosening of the earth. --Bacon. 2. To free from restraint; to set at liberty.. It loosens his hands, and assists his understanding. --Dryden. 3. To remove costiveness from; to facilitate or increase the alvine discharges of. --Bacon.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(loosens, loosening, loosened) 1. If someone loosens restrictions or laws, for example, they make them less strict or severe. Drilling regulations, too, have been loosened to speed the development of the fields. ? tighten VERB: V n • loosening Domestic conditions did not justify a loosening of monetary policy. N-SING: usu N of n 2. If someone or something loosens the ties between people or groups of people, or if the ties loosen, they become weaker. The Federal Republic must loosen its ties with the United States... The deputy leader is cautious about loosening the links with the unions... The ties that bind them together are loosening. VERB: V n, V n, V 3. If you loosen your clothing or something that is tied or fastened or if it loosens, you undo it slightly so that it is less tight or less firmly held in place. Loosen the bolt so the bars can be turned... Her hair had loosened and was tangled around her shoulders. ? tighten VERB: V n, V 4. If you loosen something that is stretched across something else, you make it less stretched or tight. Insert a small knife into the top of the chicken breast to loosen the skin. VERB: V n 5. If you loosen your grip on something, or if your grip loosens, you hold it less tightly. Harry loosened his grip momentarily and Anna wriggled free... When his grip loosened she eased herself away. = relax ? tighten VERB: V n, V 6. If a government or organization loosens its grip on a group of people or an activity, or if its grip loosens, it begins to have less control over it. There is no sign that the Party will loosen its tight grip on the country... The Soviet Union's grip on Eastern Europe loosened. = relax VERB: V n, V

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Slacken, relax, make loose, make less tight. 2. Release, unloose, loose, let loose, free. 3. Make lax (as the bowels), relax. 4. Alienate, separate.

Moby Thesaurus

abate, bate, cast off, cushion, cut apart, detach, diffuse, discharge, disengage, disenthrall, disjoin, disperse, doff, ease, ease off, ease up, emancipate, fluff, free, gentle, knead, lax, laxate, let down, let go, let up, liberate, limber, limber up, loose, manumit, mash, massage, mellow, milden, mitigate, mollify, plump, pulp, relax, release, remit, remove, scatter, separate, sever, shake up, slack, slack off, slack up, slacken, slake, smash, soften, soften up, squash, subdue, supple, take off, tenderize, tone down, tune down, unbar, unbend, unbind, unbolt, unbrace, unbridle, unbuckle, unbutton, uncage, unchain, unclasp, undo, unfasten, unfetter, ungag, unglue, unhandcuff, unhobble, unhook, unlace, unlash, unlatch, unleash, unlock, unloose, unloosen, unmanacle, unmuzzle, unpen, unpinion, unscrew, unshackle, unstick, unstrain, unstrap, unstring, untether, untie, untighten, untruss, unyoke, weaken, weigh anchor