loose

loose  (ls)

adj. loos·er, loos·est

1. Not fastened, restrained, or contained: loose bricks.

2. Not taut, fixed, or rigid: a loose anchor line; a loose chair leg.

3. Free from confinement or imprisonment; unfettered: criminals loose in the neighborhood; dogs that are loose on the streets.

4. Not tight-fitting or tightly fitted: loose shoes.

5. Not bound, bundled, stapled, or gathered together: loose papers.

6. Not compact or dense in arrangement or structure: loose gravel.

7. Lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; idle: loose talk.

8. Not formal; relaxed: a loose atmosphere at the club.

9. Lacking conventional moral restraint in sexual behavior.

10. Not literal or exact: a loose translation.

11. Characterized by a free movement of fluids in the body: a loose cough; loose bowels.

adv.

In a loose manner.

v. loosed, loos·ing, loos·es

v.tr.

1. To let loose; release: loosed the dogs.

2. To make loose; undo: loosed his belt.

3. To cast loose; detach: hikers loosing their packs at camp.

4. To let fly; discharge: loosed an arrow.

5. To release pressure or obligation from; absolve: loosed her from the responsibility.

6. To make less strict; relax: a leader's strong authority that was loosed by easy times.

v.intr.

1. To become loose.

2. To discharge a missile; fire.

Idiom:

on the loose

1. At large; free.

2. Acting in an uninhibited fashion.

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[Middle English louse, los, from Old Norse lauss; see leu- in Indo-European roots.]

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loosely adv.

looseness n.

Synonyms: loose, lax, slack¹
These adjectives mean not tautly bound, held, or fastened: loose reins; a lax rope; slack sails.

Antonym: tight

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loose

Adjective

1. (of clothing) not close-fitting: the jacket loose and unbuttoned

2. free or released from confinement or restraint

3. not tight, fastened, fixed, or tense

4. not bundled, fastened, or put in a container: loose tobacco

5. inexact or imprecise: a loose translation

6. (of cash) accessible: a lot of the loose money is floating around the city

7. Old-fashioned sexually promiscuous

8. lacking a sense of propriety: loose talk

9. at a loose end bored because one has nothing to do

Noun

1. the loose Rugby the part of play when the forwards close round the ball in a ruck or loose scrum

2. on the loose free from confinement or restraint

Adverb

in a loose manner; loosely

Verb

[loosing, loosed]

1. to free or release from restraint or obligation: he loosed the dogs

2. to unfasten or untie: the guards loosed his arms

3. to make or become less strict, tight, firmly attached, or compact

4. to let fly (a bullet, arrow, or other missile) [Old Norse lauss free]

loosely adv
looseness n

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	loose - grant freedom to; free from confinement free, unloose, unloosen, liberate, release unspell - release from a spell unchain - make free bail - release after a security has been paid run - set animals loose to graze bail out - free on bail parole - release a criminal from detention and place him on parole; "The prisoner was paroled after serving 10 years in prison"
	2.	loose - turn loose or free from restraint; "let loose mines"; "Loose terrible plagues upon humanity" let loose, unleash let go, let go of, release, relinquish - release, as from one's grip; "Let go of the door handle, please!"; "relinquish your grip on the rope--you won't fall"
	3.	loose - make loose or looser; "loosen the tension on a rope" loosen alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" relax, unbend - make less taut; "relax the tension on the rope" slacken, remit - make slack as by lessening tension or firmness slack - release tension on; "slack the rope" unscrew - loosen something by unscrewing it; "unscrew the outlet plate" unscrew - loosen by turning; "unscrew the bottle cap"
	4.	loose - become loose or looser or less tight; "The noose loosened"; "the rope relaxed" relax, loosen weaken - become weaker; "The prisoner's resistance weakened after seven days"
Adj.	1.	loose - not compact or dense in structure or arrangement; "loose gravel" compact - closely and firmly united or packed together; "compact soil"; "compact clusters of flowers"
	2.	loose - (of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player; "a loose ball" athletics, sport - an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition uncontrolled - not being under control; out of control; "the greatest uncontrolled health problem is AIDS"; "uncontrolled growth"
	3.	loose - not tight; not closely constrained or constricted or constricting; "loose clothing"; "the large shoes were very loose" lax - lacking in strength or firmness or resilience; "a lax rope"; "a limp handshake" tight - closely constrained or constricted or constricting; "tight skirts"; "he hated tight starched collars"; "fingers closed in a tight fist"; "a tight feeling in his chest"
	4.	loose - not officially recognized or controlled; "an informal agreement"; "a loose organization of the local farmers" informal unofficial - not having official authority or sanction; "a sort of unofficial mayor"; "an unofficial estimate"; "he participated in an unofficial capacity"
	5.	loose - not literal; "a loose interpretation of what she had been told"; "a free translation of the poem" liberal, free inexact - not exact
	6.	loose - emptying easily or excessively; "loose bowels" lax unconstipated, regular - not constipated
	7.	loose - not affixed; "the stamp came loose" unaffixed
	8.	loose - not tense or taut; "the old man's skin hung loose and grey"; "slack and wrinkled skin"; "slack sails"; "a slack rope" slack lax - lacking in strength or firmness or resilience; "a lax rope"; "a limp handshake"
	9.	loose - (of textures) full of small openings or gaps; "an open texture"; "a loose weave" open coarse, harsh - of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles; "coarse meal"; "coarse sand"; "a coarse weave"
	10.	loose - lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; "idle talk"; "a loose tongue" idle irresponsible - showing lack of care for consequences; "behaved like an irresponsible idiot"; "hasty and irresponsible action"
	11.	loose - not carefully arranged in a package; "a box of loose nails" unpackaged - not packaged or put into packets; "unpackaged nuts"
	12.	loose - 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 free - able to act at will; not hampered; not under compulsion or restraint; "free enterprise"; "a free port"; "a free country"; "I have an hour free"; "free will"; "free of racism"; "feel free to stay as long as you wish"; "a free choice"
	13.	loose - 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 unchaste - not chaste; "unchaste conduct"
Adv.	1.	loose - without restraint; "cows in India are running loose" free

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loose

adjective 1. free, detached, insecure, unfettered, released, floating, wobbly, unsecured, unrestricted, untied, unattached, movable, unfastened, unbound, unconfined

adjective 2. slack, easy, hanging, relaxed, loosened, not fitting, sloppy, baggy, slackened, loose-fitting, not tight << OPPOSITE tight

adjective 3. (Old-fashioned) promiscuous, fast, abandoned, immoral, dissipated, lewd, wanton, profligate, disreputable, debauched, dissolute, libertine, licentious, unchaste << OPPOSITE chaste

adjective 4. vague, random, inaccurate, disordered, rambling, diffuse, indefinite, disconnected, imprecise, ill-defined, indistinct, inexact << OPPOSITE precise

verb 5. free, release, ease, liberate, detach, unleash, let go, undo, loosen, disconnect, set free, slacken, untie, disengage, unfasten, unbind, unloose, unbridle << OPPOSITE fasten

Translations

loose [luːs] adj (gen) → suelto (= not tight); flojo (= wobbly etc); movedizo; [clothes] → ancho; [morals, discipline] → relajado

vt (= free) → soltar (= slacken); aflojar;

(also: loose off) [+ arrow]; disparar, soltar;

loose connection (ELEC) → hilo desempalmado;

to be at a loose end or (US) at loose ends → no saber qué hacer;

to tie up loose ends (fig) → no dejar ningún cabo suelto, atar cabos

loose [luːs] adj [knot, screw] → desserré(e); [stone] → branlant(e); [clothes] → vague, ample, lâche; [hair] → dénoué(e) → épars(e) (= not firmly fixed); pas solide; [animal] → en liberté, échappé(e); [life] → dissolu(e); [morals, discipline] → relâché(e); [thinking] → peu rigoureux/euse, vague; [translation] → approximatif/ive

n to be on the loose → être en liberté vt (= free) [+ animal] → lâcher: [+ prisoner]; relâcher, libérer (= slacken); détendre, relâcher; desserrer; défaire; donner du mou a; donner du ballant à;

(Brit) [+ arrow]; tirer;

loose connection (Elec) → mauvais contact;

to be at a loose end or (US) at loose ends (fig); ne pas trop savoir quoi faire;

to tie up loose ends (fig) → mettre au point or régler les derniers détails

loose [luːs] adj → lose, locker; [clothes etc] → weit; [long hair] → offen (= not strictly controlled, promiscuous); locker; [definition] → ungenau; [translation] → frei

vt [animal] → loslassen; [prisoner] → freilassen (= set off, unleash); entfesseln

n to be on the loose → frei herumlaufen

loose [luːs] adj [knot] → sciolto/a; [screw] → allentato/a; [stone] → cadente; [clothes] → ampio/a, largo/a; [animal] → in libertà, scappato/a; [life, morals] → dissoluto/a; [discipline] → allentato/a; [thinking] → poco rigoroso/a, vago/a

vt (= untie) → sciogliere (= slacken); allentare (= free); liberare;

(BRIT) [+ arrow]; scoccare;

loose connection (ELEC) → filo che fa contatto;

to be at a loose end or (US) at loose ends (fig) → non saper che fare;

to tie up loose ends (fig) → avere ancora qualcosa da sistemare

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loose

adj loose [luːs]

1 not tight; not firmly stretched a loose coat; This belt is loose. los غَيْر مُحْكَم الرباط ، فَضْفاض свободен volný løs; løstsiddende lose χαλαρός, φαρδύς flojo lõtv شل väljä ample; lâche חוֹפשִׁי ढीला labav laza longgar laus, víður largo ゆったりした 헐렁한 palaidas, laisvas vaļīgs; nesavilkts; (par apģērbu) plats; ērts longgar los løstsittende, vid luźny solto larg, mare свободный voľný ohlapen labav lös, löst sittande หลวม gevşek, bol 鬆的 вільний ڈھیلا lỏng; chùng 松的

2 not firmly fixed This button is loose. los مَفْكوك، رَخْو хлабав uvolněný løs lose χαλαρός, λασκαρισμένος descosido, flojo, suelto lahti لق höllä décousu רוֹפֵף बन्धनमुक्त हुआ labav szabad(on lógó) lepas laus sciolto ゆるんだ 매여 있지 않은 atiręs, netvirtai pritaisytas nenostiprināts; nokāries longgar los løs luźny solto des­cusut, desfăcut болтающийся uvoľnený zrahljan labav lös ไม่ได้ผูกแน่น gevşek, sallanan 鬆散的 погано прикріплений; що хитається بن جڑا không cố định 松散的

3 not tied; free The horses are loose in the field. vry طَليق، غَيْر مَربوط свободен volně vypuštěný løs; fri frei ελεύθερος, λυτός suelto, desatado vaba آزاد؛ ول vapaa lâché (en liberté) מְשוּחרָר अलग-अलग slobodan, nevezan szabad bebas laus slegato, in libertà 自由な 포장하지 않은 palaidas, nepririštas nepiesiets; brīvs tidak diikat; bebas vrij fri, løs puszczony samopas nelegat, liber непривязанный voľne vypustený spuščen slobodan lös ไม่ถูกผูก ayrı ayrı 沒加束縛的 вільний آزاد lỏng lẻo 没加束缚的

4 not packed; not in a packet loose biscuits. los لَيس في العُلْبَه насипен volně ložený løs vægt lose σκόρπιος, χύμα suelto, a granel pakkimata بسته بندی نشده irto- en vrac פָּזוּר अव्यवस्थित, असंपत nezapakiran ömlesztett tidak terbungkus í lausavikt, ópakkaður sfuso ばらの 품행이 단정치 못한 palaidas, nesupakuotas neiesaiņots tidak berbungkus los i løs vekt, i smått luzem a vulso neîm­pachetat; vărsat; în vrac развесной nebalený nepakiran otvoren lös, i lösvikt ไม่ได้บรรจุในหีบห่อ paketlenmemiş 散裝的 без упаковки کھلا، متفرق xốp; mềm 散装的

adv ˈloosely

losweg بِصورَةٍ رَخْوَه او فَضْفاضَه свободно volně løst; frit lose χαλαρά, λάσκα, ελεύθερα, σκόρπια aproximadamente lõdvalt بطور شل و ول löyhästi, irrallaan de manière lâche בְּאוֹפֶן חוֹפשִׁי ढीलापन, अतिसार nezapakirano lazán, nem szorosan secara longgar lauslega liberamente ゆるく 느슨하게, 대충 palaidai, laisvai vaļīgi; brīvi longgar los løst, slapt; ulenkelig luźno à solta liber; neglijent свободно voľne ohlapno labavo löst อย่างหลวม ๆ; ไม่เคร่งครัด bol, gevşek 鬆散地 вільно; не туго غیر سنجیدگی سے thả lỏng 松散地

n ˈlooseness

losbandigheid عَدَم إحكام الرباط хлабавост uvolněnost løshed die Lockerheit χαλαρότητα: ελευθεριότητα soltura, holgura lõtvus شلی väljyys relâchement רִפיוֹן ढीलापन, अतिसार labavost lazaság kelonggaran lausleiki, los scioltezza ゆるみ 느슨함 palaidumas vaļīgums kelonggaran losheid løshet rozluźnienie frouxidão slăbire; lărgime слабость uvoľnenosť ohlapnost labavost löshet ความหลวม gevşeklik 鬆散 слабість; нещільність ڈھیلا پن sự lỏng lẻo 松散

v ˈloosen

1 to make or become loose She loosened the string; The screw had loosened and fallen out. losmaak يَفُك، يُرْخي разхлабвам uvolnit (se) løsne; løsne sig (sich)lösen χαλαρώνω κτ., γίνομαι πιο χαλαρός desatar lõdvenema, lõdvendama, lahti pääsema شل کردن löysätä, höltyä (se) desserrer לְשַחרר, לְהִשתַחרֵר ढीला करना otpustiti se, olabaviti kibont; kioldódik, meglazul melepaskan losna; losa, leysa allentare, slacciare ゆるくする 풀다; 풀리다 at(si)palaiduoti, at(si)leisti kļūt vaļīgam; atraisīt melonggarkan losser maken, losgaan løsne, løse på poluźnić, obluzować się afrouxar a (se) desface ослаблять(ся) uvoľniť (sa) popustiti olabaviti lossa [], lossna ทำให้หลวม gevşe(t)mek 解開 ослабляти(ся) ڈھیلا کرنا یا ہونا nới lỏng 解开

2 to relax (eg a hold) He loosened his grip. ontspan يُخَفَّف قَبْضَتَه، يُرخي отпускам povolit løsne lockern χαλαρώνω, ξεσφίγγω aflojar lõdvendama ول کردن hellittää relâcher לְהַרפּוֹת ढीला करना या होना otpustiti, olabaviti meglazít; lazul, oldódik melonggarkan losa allentare ゆるめる 느슨하게 하다; 느슨해지다 susilpninti, sumažinti atlaist vaļīgāk; atslābināt melonggarkan verslappen slakke på, løse opp rozluźniać afrouxar a slăbi (strânsoarea) ослаблять povoliť zrahljati osloboditi lossa [], släppa efter på ลดหย่อน gevşetmek 鬆開 ослабляти ڈھیل دینا thư giãn 松开

adj ˌloose-ˈleaf

(of a notebook etc) made so that pages can easily be added or removed. losblad أوراق رَخْوَه с листа, които могат да се вадят s volnými listy løsblads- lose Blätter με κινητά (άδετα) φύλλα de hojas sueltas köitmata دفتر کلاسوری irtolehti- à feuilles mobiles עִם דַפִּים בּוֹדדִים, דַפדֶפֶת खुले पन्ने notes sa izmjenjivim listovima kivehető lapokból álló, gyűrűs (könyv) halaman lepas lausblaða- (a fogli staccabili) ルーズリーフの 페이지를 마음대로 뺐다 끼웠다 할 수 있는 neįrištas, su palaidais lapais (par bloknotu u.tml.) noplēšamais helai cerai losbladig (perm) med løse ark og skilleark z luźnymi kartkami de folhas soltas cu foi detaşabile с вкладными/отрывными листами s voľnými listami nevezanih listov nebroširan lösblads- แยกออกได้ yaprakları çıkarılıp takılan 活頁的 з відривними аркушами الگ ہونے والے ورق tờ rơi 活页的

break loose

to escape The prisoner broke loose. losbreek يَهْرُب избягвам uprchnout bryde ud ausbrechen δραπετεύω escaparse lahti pääsema آزاد شدن karata (s')échapper לִברוֹחַ pobjeći, osloboditi se megszökik melarikan diri hlaupast á brott scappare 逃亡する 도망치다 ištrūkti (į laisvę) izlauzties brīvībā melarikan diri uitbreken komme seg unna wydostać się na wolność escapar a scăpa сбежать ujsť pobegniti pobeći rymma, bryta sig ut ur หลบหนี kaçmak, firar etmek 逃脫 визволяти(ся) فرار ہو جانا trốn thoát 逃脱

let loose

to free from control The circus trainer has let the lions loose. ontketen, afhaak يُحَرِّر، يَفُك пускам ponechat volnost løs frei lassen αφήνω κπ. ή κτ. ελεύθερο soltar lahti päästma رها کردن؛ ول کردن päästää irti lâcher לְשַחרֵר osloboditi szabadjára enged melepaskan láta lausan, sleppa lausum sciogliere 放す 풀어놓다 paleisti, duoti laisvę atbrīvot; palaist brīvībā melepaskan vrijlaten slippe løs wypuścić, puścić wolno escapar a da drumul освобождать, выпускать pustiť na slobodu spustiti osloboditi släppa lös (loss) ปล่อย serbest bırakmak 放出 давати волю کھلا چھوڑنا tự do không bị kiểm soát 放出

a loose (not lose ) screw.