loosen

v., -ened, -en·ing, -ens.

v.tr.

1. To untie or make looser.
2. To free from restraint, pressure, or strictness.
3. To free (the bowels) from constipation.

v.intr.
To become loose or looser.

[Middle English lousnen, losnen, from losen, from los, loose. See loose.]

verb

1. To free from ties or fasteners: disengage, loose, slip, unbind, unclasp, undo, unfasten, unloose, unloosen, untie. See tighten/loosen.
2. To reduce in tension, pressure, or rigidity: ease, let up, loose, relax, slack, slacken, untighten. See tighten/loosen.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The verb has 7 meanings:

Meaning #1: make loose or looser
  Synonym: loose
  Antonym: stiffen (meaning #2)

Meaning #2: make less severe or strict
  Synonym: relax

Meaning #3: become less severe or strict
  Synonym: relax

Meaning #4: disentangle and raise the fibers of
  Synonyms: tease, tease apart

Meaning #5: cause to become loose
  Synonyms: untie, undo

Meaning #6: make less dense

Meaning #7: become loose or looser or less tight
  Synonyms: relax, loose
  Antonym: stiffen (meaning #1)

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Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - løsne, løsgøre, slække
v. intr. - blive løs, gå løs, blive slap, slappes

idioms:

• loosen up    slap af, slappe af
• to loosen someone's tongue    få ens tunge på gled

Nederlands (Dutch)
losmaken, (laten) vieren, versoepelen, verruimen, losgaan, obstipatie verhelpen, losdraaien, vrijlaten/ -zetten, losknopen, ontspannen

Français (French)
v. tr. - desserrer, détacher, dégager, relâcher, dénouer, (fig) assouplir, (fig) relâcher son emprise sur qch, ameublir (sol)
v. intr. - se desserrer, se détendre, (fig) se relâcher

idioms:

• loosen someone's tongue    délier la langue à qn
• loosen up    (Sport) s'échauffer, (fig) se détendre, se dégeler, (lit, fig) assouplir

Deutsch (German)
v. - lockern, lösen, sich lockern

idioms:

• loosen someone's tongue    jmds. Zunge lösen
• loosen up    lockern, sich auflockern, auftauen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - χαλαρώνω, λασκάρω, ξεσφίγγω, λύνω/-ομαι

idioms:

• loosen up    ξεθαρρεύω, ξεσφίγγω
• to loosen someone's tongue    λύνω τη γλώσσα κάποιου

Italiano (Italian)
allentare, slacciare

idioms:

• loosen up    rilassarsi
• to loosen someone's tongue    far sciogliere la lingua a qualcuno

Português (Portuguese)
v. - soltar, libertar, desprender, alargar

idioms:

• loosen up    soltar-se, descontrair-se
• to loosen someone's tongue    falar livremente

Русский (Russian)
ослаблять, отпускать, развязывать

idioms:

• loosen up    делать разминку, смягчить требования, свободно говорить
• to loosen someone's tongue    распустить язык

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - soltar, aflojar, desatar
v. intr. - soltarse, aflojarse, desatarse

idioms:

• loosen someone's tongue    hacer hablar a uno, desatarle la lengua a alguien, aflojar la lengua de alguien
• loosen up    desentumecer, entrar en calor, relajarse, hacer relajar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - lossa (på), lösa upp, släppa efter på, (bildl.) lätta på, mildra, göra lös (are), luckra (upp), (läk.) lösa, verka lösande (laxerande) på, (bildl.) frigöra, lösa, lossna, lösas upp, bli lös(are)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
松开, 解开, 放松, 松弛, 变松

idioms:

• loosen up    变得不太紧, 放松
• to loosen someone's tongue    一...话就多了

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 鬆開, 解開, 放鬆
v. intr. - 鬆開, 鬆弛, 變鬆

idioms:

• loosen up    變得不太緊, 放鬆
• to loosen someone's tongue    一...話就多了

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 풀다, 늦추다, 완화하다, 누그러뜨리다, 변이 통하게 하다
v. intr. - 헐거워지다, 낱낱이 흩어지다, 풀리다

idioms:

• loosen up    아낌없이 돈을 내다 , 긴장을 풀다, 완화하다
• to loosen someone's tongue    남의 입을 열게 하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 緩める, 解く, 緩む, ばらばらになる

idioms:

• loosen up    …がゆるむ, 緩める, ほぐす, くつろぐ
• to loosen someone's tongue    おしゃべりにさせる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يحل, يفك, يحرر, يطلق, يرخي, يسهل الأمعاء, يلين أو يجعله أقل جفافا, يجعله أقل ضراوة, يلين‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮שחרר, התיר, ריפה, רופף, דילדל‬
v. intr. - ‮שוחרר, הותר, התרפה, התרופף, הידלדל‬

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