unwind
Americanverb (used with object)
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to undo or loosen from or as if from a coiled condition.
to unwind a rolled bandage; to unwind a coiled rope.
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to reduce the tension of; relax.
to unwind a person with a drink.
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to disentangle or disengage; untwist.
to unwind one's legs from around the stool.
verb (used without object)
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to become unwound.
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to become relieved of tension; relax.
After work we can have a drink and unwind.
verb
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to slacken, undo, or unravel or cause to slacken, undo, or unravel
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(tr) to disentangle
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to make or become relaxed
he finds it hard to unwind after a busy day at work
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have unwoundperfect
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has unwoundperfect 3rd person singular
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are unwindingprogressive
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am unwindingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been unwindingperfect progressive
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is unwindingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been unwindingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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unwindssingular 3rd person
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unwindingparticiple
Past
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had unwoundperfect
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was unwindingprogressive singular
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had been unwindingperfect progressive
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unwoundparticiple
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unwoundsimple
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were unwindingprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of unwind
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English onwinden; see un- 2, wind 2
Explanation
The literal meaning of the verb unwind is exactly what it sounds like — the opposite of "wind," or twist. But when someone says they need to unwind, they mean that they need to relax. When you come inside on a cold, snowy day, you might first unwind the scarf from around your neck, loosening and untwisting it. If you then grab a cup of hot chocolate and put your feet up on the coffee table, you’ll feel yourself start to unwind, or become less tense. Unwind has been in use since the fourteenth century, but the figurative meaning of “to relax” dates only from the mid-twentieth century.
Vocabulary lists containing unwind
Slam!
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Bob
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Obama's health care law -- NYTimes
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
UNWIND: The salon with convertible Ultraleather settee and the cockpit wet bar with TV.Besides the seamless windshield, the 48's topside has several other au courant features.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
