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loosey-goosey

American

[loo-see-goo-see] / ˈlu siˈgu si /

adjective

Slang.

relaxed; calm; unperturbed.

Despite the pressure, he was loosey-goosey throughout the game.

Etymology

Origin of loosey-goosey

1965–70; rhyming compound (with -y ¹ ) based on the idiom loose as a goose

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.

Much more contentious are the loosey-goosey rules on player transfers and eligibility, which have allowed athletes to chase better openings and financial offers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

“It is not random, it is not loosey-goosey, it is not something capricious,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2025

The code of conduct looks as fake and loosey-goosey as ever.

From Slate • Dec. 5, 2024

Like all of Russell’s movies, this one is by turns loosey-goosey and high strung.

From New York Times • Oct. 6, 2022

“It made people more serious,” she said of the pandemic, “not so loosey-goosey ... It’s going to for sure leave a mark on our generation.”

From Reuters • Dec. 24, 2020

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023