loo
sen
Third Person
loosens
Present Participle
loosening
Past Tense
loosened
Past Participle
loosened
1
to make something less tight or more flexible
transitive
- The mechanic loosened the bolts with a wrench to disassemble the engine.
- She decided to loosen her shoelaces for more comfort.
- In the workshop, the carpenter used a chisel to loosen the old glue from the joints.
- Before starting the hike, they decided to loosen the straps on their backpacks.
- The musician had to loosen the guitar strings to adjust the pitch.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
2
to reduce tension or tightness in muscles
transitive
- He decided to loosen his muscles with a few stretches after a long day at work.
- After hours of typing, she took a moment to loosen her fingers and wrists.
- The athlete loosened his grip on the tennis racket between serves, allowing his hands to relax.
- Before the performance, the singer practiced vocal exercises to loosen her vocal cords.
- As part of the warm-up routine, the coach led the team in dynamic stretches to loosen their muscles.
Antonyms:
3
to remove a restraint, allowing for freedom of movement or action
transitive
- The climber loosened the safety harness to descend the mountain safely after reaching the summit.
- The mechanic loosened the bolts securing the engine cover to access the internal components for maintenance.
- The sailor loosened the rope tied to the dock, enabling the boat to drift gently away with the current.
- The construction worker loosened the clamps holding the scaffolding in place, preparing to dismantle it.
- To access the hidden compartment, the spy loosened the latch on the secret panel, revealing classified documents.
4
to experience a reduction in tightness and become more relaxed
- After a few minutes of deep breathing, she felt the knots in her shoulders begin to loosen.
- As the day progressed, the grip of the shoelaces began to loosen, allowing his feet to breathe more freely.
- With each passing mile, the muscles in his legs started to loosen, adapting to the rhythm of the run.
- Over time, the stiffness in the new leather shoes began to loosen.
- After applying heat therapy, the knots in the athlete's muscles began to loosen.
Synonyms:
5
to relax rules, regulations, or constraints and make something less strict
transitive
- The school administration decided to loosen the dress code policy.
- After receiving feedback from employees, the company decided to loosen the restrictions on telecommuting.
- The government announced plans to loosen regulations on small businesses.
- The coach decided to loosen training schedules for athletes during the off-season.
- In response to customer complaints, the airline decided to loosen its baggage weight restrictions.
Synonyms: