loosen up

loosen up
verb
1. cause to become unblocked (Freq. 1)
-

The medicine unstuffed my nose in minutes!

• Syn: ↑unstuff
• Ant: ↑stuff (for: ↑unstuff)
• Hypernyms: ↑free, ↑disengage
• Hyponyms: ↑unblock
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

-

Something ——s something

2. 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

• Syn: ↑relax
• Derivationally related forms: ↑relaxation (for: ↑relax)
• Hypernyms: ↑act, ↑behave, ↑do
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s

3. 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

• Syn: ↑relax, ↑unbend, ↑unwind, ↑decompress, ↑slow down
• Ant: ↑tense (for: ↑relax)
• Derivationally related forms: ↑relaxant (for: ↑relax), ↑relaxation (for: ↑relax)
• Hypernyms: ↑change state, ↑turn
• Hyponyms: ↑vege out, ↑vegetate, ↑sit back, ↑take it easy
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s

-

Somebody's (body part) ——s

-

Sam and Sue loosen up

4. make one's body limber or suppler by stretching, as if to prepare for strenuous physical activity
• Syn: ↑limber up, ↑warm up
• Derivationally related forms: ↑warm-up (for: ↑warm up)
• Hypernyms: ↑exercise, ↑work out
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s

5. cause to feel relaxed
-

A hot bath always relaxes me

• Syn: ↑relax, ↑unstrain, ↑unlax, ↑unwind, ↑make relaxed
• Ant: ↑strain (for: ↑unstrain), ↑tense (for: ↑relax)
• Derivationally related forms: ↑relaxant (for: ↑relax), ↑relaxation (for: ↑relax), ↑relaxer (for: ↑relax)
• Hypernyms: ↑affect
• Hyponyms: ↑unbend
• Cause: ↑relax, ↑unbend, ↑unwind, ↑decompress, ↑slow down
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

-

Somebody ——s somebody

-

Something ——s somebody

-

The performance is likely to loosen up Sue


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • loosen — ► VERB 1) make or become loose. 2) (loosen up) warm up in preparation for an activity. ● loosen someone s tongue Cf. ↑loosen someone s tongue DERIVATIVES loosener noun …   English terms dictionary

  • Loosen — Loos en (l[=oo]s n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Loosened} (l[=oo]s nd); 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 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • loosen up — (someone) to behave in a relaxed, informal way. Slowly she began to loosen up and, by the second semester, she was making friends with her classmates. The question was supposed to loosen people up and chase away their anxieties …   New idioms dictionary

  • loosen — [lo͞os′ən] vt., vi. to make or become loose or looser; specif., a) to free from confinement or restraint; unbind, unfasten, etc. b) to make less taut, less compact, etc. ☆ loosen up Informal 1. to talk freely 2. to give money generously 3. to… …   English World dictionary

  • Loosen — Loos en, v. i. To become loose; to become less tight, firm, or compact. S. Sharp. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • loosen — index disencumber, disentangle, disenthrall, dissociate, ease, extricate, give (yield), remit ( …   Law dictionary

  • Loosen — Forme génitive du néerlandais Loos, surnom désignant une personne rusée. Loos est aussi en allemand un hypocoristique de Ludwig (= Louis). Enfin, c est parfois un toponyme avec le sens de prairie marécageuse (germanique lauth) …   Noms de famille

  • loosen — (v.) late 14c., losnen, later lousen (early 15c.), from LOOSE (Cf. loose) (v.) + EN (Cf. en) (1). Related: Loosened; loosening …   Etymology dictionary

  • loosen — loos|en [ˈlu:sən] v 1.) [I and T] to make something less tight or less firmly fastened, or to become less tight or less firmly fastened ≠ ↑tighten ▪ You ll need a spanner to loosen that bolt. ▪ The screws have loosened. ▪ Harry loosened his tie.… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • loosen — [[t]lu͟ːs(ə)n[/t]] loosens, loosening, loosened 1) VERB If someone loosens restrictions or laws, for example, they make them less strict or severe. [V n] Many business groups have been pressing the Federal Reserve to loosen interest rates... [V… …   English dictionary

  • loosen — UK [ˈluːs(ə)n] / US [ˈlus(ə)n] verb Word forms loosen : present tense I/you/we/they loosen he/she/it loosens present participle loosening past tense loosened past participle loosened 1) [intransitive/transitive] to become or make something less… …   English dictionary

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