loose

  • (r) without restraint
    • cows in India are running loose
    free,
  • (a) not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
    • loose gravel
  • (s) (of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player
    • a loose ball
  • (a) not tight; not closely constrained or constricted or constricting
    • loose clothing
    • the large shoes were very loose
  • (s) not officially recognized or controlled
    • an informal agreement
    • a loose organization of the local farmers
    informal,
  • (s) not literal
    • a loose interpretation of what she had been told
    • a free translation of the poem
    liberal, free,
  • (s) emptying easily or excessively
    • loose bowels
    lax,
  • (a) not affixed
    • the stamp came loose
    unaffixed,
  • (s) not tense or taut
    • the old man's skin hung loose and grey
    • slack and wrinkled skin
    • slack sails
    • a slack rope
    slack,
  • (s) (of textures) full of small openings or gaps
    • an open texture
    • a loose weave
    open,
  • (s) lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility
    • idle talk
    • a loose tongue
    idle,
  • (s) not carefully arranged in a package
    • a box of loose nails
  • (s) having escaped, especially from confinement
    • a convict still at large
    • searching for two escaped prisoners
    • dogs loose on the streets
    • criminals on the loose in the neighborhood
    at large, escaped, on the loose,
  • (s) casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior
    • her easy virtue
    • he was told to avoid loose (or light) women
    • wanton behavior
    promiscuous, sluttish, wanton, easy, light,

Verbs

  • (v) grant freedom to; free from confinement free, unloose, unloosen, liberate, release,
  • (v) turn loose or free from restraint
    • let loose mines
    • Loose terrible plagues upon humanity
    let loose, unleash,
  • (v) make loose or looser
    • loosen the tension on a rope
    loosen,
  • (v) become loose or looser or less tight
    • The noose loosened
    • the rope relaxed
    relax, loosen,

Synonyms

free unloose unloosen liberate release let loose unleash loosen informal relax liberal lax unaffixed slack open idle at large escaped on the loose promiscuous sluttish wanton easy light

Antonyms

detain confine compact tight stiffen affixed

See also

lax

Words of close approximity

look loom loon loop Loos loot
loofa loony loopy
loose cannon loose end loose-fitting loose-jointed loose-jowled looseleaf loose-leaf lettuce loosely loosely knit loosen loosened looseness looseness of the bowels loosening loosen up loose off loose sentence loose smut loosestrife loosestrife family loose woman