loose

[ loos ]

/ lus /

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See synonyms for: loose / loosed / looser / looses on Thesaurus.com

adjective, loos·er, loos·est.

free or released from fastening or attachment: a loose end.

free from anything that binds or restrains; unfettered: loose cats prowling around in alleyways at night.

uncombined, as a chemical element.

not bound together: to wear one's hair loose.

not put up in a package or other container: loose mushrooms.

available for disposal; unused; unappropriated: loose funds.

lacking in reticence or power of restraint: a loose tongue.

lax, as the bowels.

lacking moral restraint or integrity: notorious for his loose character.

sexually promiscuous or immoral; unchaste.

not firm, taut, or rigid: a loose tooth;a loose rein.

relaxed or limber in nature: He runs with a loose, open stride.

not fitting closely or tightly: a loose sweater.

not close or compact in structure or arrangement; having spaces between the parts; open: a loose weave.

having few restraining factors between associated constituents and allowing ample freedom for independent action: a loose federation of city-states.

not cohering: loose sand.

not strict, exact, or precise: a loose interpretation of the law.

Sports.

having the players on a team positioned at fairly wide intervals, as in a football formation.
(of a ball, hockey puck, etc.) not in the possession of either team; out of player control.

adverb

in a loose manner; loosely (usually used in combination): loose-flowing.

verb (used with object), loosed, loos·ing.

to let loose; free from bonds or restraint.

to release, as from constraint, obligation, or penalty.

Chiefly Nautical. to set free from fastening or attachment: to loose a boat from its moorings.

to unfasten, undo, or untie, as a bond, fetter, or knot.

to shoot; discharge; let fly: to loose missiles at the invaders.

to make less tight; slacken or relax.

to render less firmly fixed; lessen an attachment; loosen.

verb (used without object), loosed, loos·ing.

to let go a hold.

to hoist anchor; get under way.

to shoot or let fly an arrow, bullet, etc. (often followed by off): to loose off at a flock of ducks.

Obsolete. to become loose; loosen.

OTHER WORDS FOR loose

2 unbound, untied, unrestricted, unconfined.

10 libertine, dissolute, licentious.

17 vague, general, indefinite.

20 loosen, unbind.

21 liberate.

25 ease.

See synonyms for loose on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR loose

1 bound.

10 chaste.

25 tighten.

See antonyms for loose on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about loose

break loose, to free oneself; escape: The convicts broke loose.

cast loose,

to loosen or unfasten, as a ship from a mooring.
to send forth; set adrift or free: He was cast loose at an early age to make his own way in the world.

cut loose,

to release from domination or control.
to become free, independent, etc.
to revel without restraint: After the rodeo they headed into town to cut loose.

hang / stay loose, Slang. to remain relaxed and unperturbed.

let loose. See entry at let loose.

on the loose,

free; unconfined, as, especially, an escaped convict or circus animal.
behaving in an unrestrained or dissolute way: a bachelor on the loose.

turn loose, to release or free, as from confinement: The teacher turned the children loose after the class.

Origin of loose

First recorded in 1175–1225; (adjective) Middle English los, loos, from Old Norse lauss “loose, free, empty”; cognate with Old English lēas (see -less), Dutch, German los loose, free; (verb) Middle English leowsen, lousen, derivative of the adjective

OTHER WORDS FROM loose

loose·ly, adverbloose·ness, nouno·ver·loose, adjectiveo·ver·loose·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH loose

loose , loosen, lose

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use loose in a sentence

Tampa Bay’s win in Game 4 was an all-timer — and an all-time gut-punch of a loss for the Dodgers, who had fought hard to stake themselves to a 7-6 lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before all hell broke loose.
The Dodgers Went From A Stunning Loss To The Brink Of A Championship|Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com)|October 26, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
As temperatures rise and the peaks thaw, rocks that were previously held firmly in place by ice are coming loose.
How Climate Change Is Making the Alps More Dangerous|Agostino Petroni|October 23, 2020|Outside Online
Basically, if you’re hair didn’t look like the Europeanized image of silky straight tresses or beach-friendly loose waves, it wasn’t beautiful.
Why Elle Lorraine Is Scary Good in ‘Bad Hair’|cmurray|October 22, 2020|Essence.com
If you were loose enough in your understanding of what it means to copy yourself, for instance, then a spreading fire is a self-copying phenomenon.
The Physicist’s New Book of Life - Issue 92: Frontiers|Michael Brooks|October 21, 2020|Nautilus

Inside are 20 loose-leaf papers written in Lee’s grandfather’s hand.
A Writer Retraces Her Family's Past in Taiwan|Frances Nguyen|October 15, 2020|Outside Online
What candidate field can we expect in 2016 in case the moderate wing of the GOP looses out to Obama in 2012?
Answering Your Questions|David Frum|March 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Frey is best of all the exalted gods in the Æsir's courts: no maid he makes to weep, no wife of man, and from bonds looses all.
The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson|Saemund Sigfusson and Snorre Sturleson
But the Demon Rum looses a heated flood of poetry upon her, which I can but vision and not feel.
I, Mary MacLane|Mary MacLane
He binds on earth and it is bound in heaven; he looses on earth and it is loosed in heaven.
The Life of John Taylor|B. H. Roberts
The German looses in destroyers may have been equal or greater, but in cruisers they were considerably less.
A Short History of the Great War|A. F. Pollard
Caressing them with eye and hand, urging them on with voice and gesture, he looses them upon the scent.
Burgundy: The Splendid Duchy|Percy Allen

British Dictionary definitions for loose

loose

/ (luːs) /

adjective

free or released from confinement or restraint

not close, compact, or tight in structure or arrangement

not fitted or fitting closelyloose clothing is cooler

not bundled, packaged, fastened, or put in a containerloose nails

inexact; imprecisea loose translation

(of funds, cash, etc) not allocated or locked away; readily available

(esp of women) promiscuous or easy
(of attitudes, ways of life, etc) immoral or dissolute

lacking a sense of responsibility or proprietyloose talk

(of the bowels) emptying easily, esp excessively; lax
(of a cough) accompanied by phlegm, mucus, etc

(of a dye or dyed article) fading as a result of washing; not fast

informal, mainly US and Canadian very relaxed; easy

noun

the loose rugby the part of play when the forwards close round the ball in a ruck or loose scrumSee scrum

on the loose

free from confinement or restraint
informal on a spree

adverb

in a loose manner; loosely
(in combination)loose-fitting

hang loose informal, mainly US to behave in a relaxed, easy fashion

verb

(tr) to set free or release, as from confinement, restraint, or obligation

(tr) to unfasten or untie

to make or become less strict, tight, firmly attached, compact, etc

(when intr, often foll by off) to let fly (a bullet, arrow, or other missile)

Derived forms of loose

loosely, adverblooseness, noun

Word Origin for loose

C13 (in the sense: not bound): from Old Norse lauss free; related to Old English lēas free from, -less

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with loose

loose

In addition to the idioms beginning with loose

loose cannon
loose ends

also see:

at loose ends
break loose
cast loose
cut loose
footloose and fancy-free
hang loose
have a screw loose
on the loose
play fast and loose

loose

OTHER WORDS FOR loose

OPPOSITES FOR loose

Idioms about loose

Origin of loose

OTHER WORDS FROM loose

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH loose

Words related to loose

How to use loose in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for loose

Derived forms of loose

Word Origin for loose

Other Idioms and Phrases with loose