loosen
Americanverb (used with object)
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loosens,
present (3rd person singular)
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loosened,
past participle, past
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loosening
present participle
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to unfasten or undo, as a bond or fetter.
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to make less tight; slacken or relax.
to loosen one's grasp.
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to make less firmly fixed in place.
to loosen a tooth.
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to let loose or set free from bonds, restraint, or constraint.
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to make less close or compact in structure or arrangement.
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to make less dense or coherent.
to loosen the soil in a garden.
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to relax in strictness or severity, as restraint or discipline.
to loosen restrictions on trade.
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to relieve (the bowels) of their constipated condition.
verb (used without object)
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loosens,
present (3rd person singular)
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loosened,
past participle, past
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loosening
present participle
verb
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to make or become less tight, fixed, etc
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(often foll by up) to make or become less firm, compact, or rigid
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(tr) to untie
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(tr) to let loose; set free
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(often foll by up) to make or become less strict, severe, etc
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(tr) to rid or relieve (the bowels) of constipation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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loosensimple
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loosenssimple
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have loosenedperfect
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has loosenedperfect
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am looseningprogressive
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are looseningprogressive
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is looseningprogressive
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have been looseningperfect progressive
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has been looseningperfect progressive
Past
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loosenedsimple
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had loosenedperfect
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was looseningprogressive
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were looseningprogressive
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had been looseningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of loosen
First recorded in 1350–1400, loosen is from the Middle English word loosnen. See loose, -en 1
Explanation
When you loosen something, you make it less tight. A ballerina, for example, might loosen her tightly coiled hair after dance practice. You might need to loosen your belt after eating a huge meal, or loosen your collar and tie after a long day at work. Things sometimes also loosen on their own, like when a dog's collar loosens gradually until she can slip right out of it to chase a squirrel. There is also a figurative way to loosen things, making them less strict, like when a community loosens certain rules or laws.
Vocabulary lists containing loosen
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.
See Examples For:
That unexpected difference may help loosen established emotional patterns and make it easier for the mind to replace old, painful responses with new ones.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026
After filming the second episode, Reynolds began to loosen up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
But with supplies under pressure, many are now expected to loosen those rules rather than risk empty shelves.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
"At the same time, maybe they need to loosen their censorship a bit in order to have more different kinds of movie and less restriction creating-wise," he added.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
He pulled at the collar to loosen it.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
“A flurry of tankers have taken the chance to exit the gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran loosens its grip on the key waterway under conditions stipulated under the agreement,” the analysts add.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
And when you whisk it into something, especially with a little acid, it loosens, lightens, turns almost plush.
From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2026
Isik Mater, the group's director of research, said there was no guarantee that a more complete picture would emerge even if the regime loosens connectivity restrictions.
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026
Wright, in a recent interview with US outlet Politico, welcomed the passing of Venezuela's new hydrocarbons law, which loosens the state's grip on the commodity that is Venezuela's main source of revenue.
From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 2026
“You don’t fight against the handcuffs. You push your fingers in, not out. That loosens the braid.”
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Supermarkets' strict cosmetic rules mean "one tiny little hole can render the plant useless", he said, but some have temporarily loosened the rules.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Berkshire Hathaway loosened its purse strings last quarter, but only a little.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
After more than three years of sitting on a massive cash pile, Berkshire Hathaway finally loosened up and found a stock worth buying — its own.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
You’re punchy, you’re loosened up, you’re not being so edited or controlled.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
Instead, the branch holding his left foot prisoner loosened.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
At the same time, Fannie Mae is loosening some insurance requirements for condos that lenders had said were too burdensome.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Pictures of him loosening off under a Kingston Bridge flyover in a hotel car park.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
In 2021, thousands crossed to take advantage of Rabat loosening border controls during a diplomatic dispute with Spain.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Last week, a Food and Drug Administration panel narrowly voted—with Kennedy’s support—to recommend the loosening of regulations around six peptides.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026
Whenever she was really scared or freaking out, the same thing always happened: she began to dissociate, reality loosening around her like a hammock deconstructing itself, spilling her out into sands of nothingness.
From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi
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.
