relax
VerbOpen English WordNet
Verb (8)relaxes, relaxed, relaxing
- become less tense, rest, or take one's ease“He relaxed in the hot tub”“Let's all relax after a hard day's work”Synonyms: loosen upunbendunwinddecompressslow downMore general change state, turnMore specific sit back, let go, veg out
- make less taut“relax the tension on the rope”Synonyms: unbendMore general loosen, looseMore specific unbrace
- become loose or looser or less tight“The noose loosened”“the rope relaxed”Synonyms: loosenlooseOpposite stiffenMore general weaken
- cause to feel relaxed“A hot bath always relaxes me”Synonyms: unstrainunlaxloosen upunwindmake relaxedMore general affectMore specific unbendCauses loosen up, unbend
- become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner“our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group”Synonyms: loosen upMore general act, behave
- make less severe or strict“The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught”Synonyms: loosenMore general change, alterSimilar loosen
- become less severe or strict“The rules relaxed after the new director arrived”Synonyms: loosen
- make less active or fast“He slackened his pace as he got tired”“Don't relax your efforts now”Synonyms: slackslackenslack up
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Verb to make something loose
- Spanish
- relajar
- French
- relâcher
- German
- entspannen
- Italian
- allentare
- Portuguese
- relaxar
- Russian
- расслабля́ть rasslabljátʹ
- Arabic
- أَرْخَى ʔarḵā
- Chinese
- 放松 fàngsōng
- Dutch
- ontspannen
- Polish
- rozluźniać
Verb to rest and become relieved of stress
- French
- se relaxer
- German
- sich entspannen
- Italian
- rilassarsi
- Russian
- расслабля́ться rasslabljátʹsja
- Chinese
- 放松 fàngsōng
- Swedish
- koppla av
- Greek
- χαλαρώνω chalaróno
- Korean
- 쉬다 swida
- Vietnamese
- thư giãn
- Chinese (Trad.)
- 鬆弛 sōngchí
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: L. relaxare; pref. re- re- + laxare to loose, to slacken, from laxus loose. See Lax, and cf. Relay, noun, Release.
1. To make lax or loose; to make less close, firm, rigid, tense, or the like; to slacken; to loosen; to open; as, to relax a rope or cord; to relax the muscles or sinews.
Horror... all his joints relaxed.— John Milton
Nor served it to relax their serried files.— John Milton
2. To make less severe or rigorous; to abate the stringency of; to remit in respect to strenuousness, earnestness, or effort; as, to relax discipline; to relax one's attention or endeavors.
The statute of mortmain was at several times relaxed by the legislature.— Jonathan Swift
3. Hence, to relieve from attention or effort; to ease; to recreate; to divert; as, amusement relaxes the mind.
4. To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open; as, an aperient relaxes the bowels.
Synonyms: To slacken; loosen; loose; remit; abate; mitigate; ease; unbend; divert.
1. To become lax, weak, or loose; as, to let one's grasp relax.
His knees relax with toil.— Alexander Pope
2. To abate in severity; to become less rigorous.
In others she relaxed again, And governed with a looser rein.— Matthew Prior
3. To remit attention or effort; to become less diligent; to unbend; as, to relax in study.
Relaxation. obsolete Owen Feltham
Relaxed; lax; hence, remiss; careless.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54