unwind

[uhn-wahynd]

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verb (used with object), un·wound, un·wind·ing.

to undo or loosen from or as if from a coiled condition: to unwind a rolled bandage; to unwind a coiled rope.

to reduce the tension of; relax: to unwind a person with a drink.

to disentangle or disengage; untwist: to unwind one's legs from around the stool.

verb (used without object), un·wound, un·wind·ing.

to become unwound.

to become relieved of tension; relax: After work we can have a drink and unwind.

Nearby words

Origin of unwind

1275–1325; Middle English onwinden; see un-², wind²

Related formsun·wind·a·ble, adjectiveun·wind·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unwind

To unwind, Sharp takes long showers, and stops himself from separating his food on his plate as Christopher would.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway|Tim Teeman|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Hakushu 12 was a little peaty and nutty, the kind of dram I want to unwind with after a fine restaurant meal.
Watch Out, Scotland! Japanese Whisky Is on the Rise|Kayleigh Kulp|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When I want to unwind, I just go to bed with a detective story.
Donald E. Westlake, The Man With The Getaway Face|Malcolm Jones|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It took me about two years to unwind the tension, so in that time, I almost had to relearn how to sing.
La Roux Discusses New Album ‘Trouble in Paradise,’ the 5-Year Gap, and Embracing Her Androgyny|Marlow Stern|July 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Things got a little real during that scene to the point where, afterward, we were like, “Do you want to get a beer and unwind?”
Dave Franco Uncut: The Actor on ’22 Jump Street,’ ‘The Room,’ and His Bro’s Nude Instagrams|Marlow Stern|June 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Because it first seemed to wind itself up and then to unwind, Al had always insisted on calling this thrush the "winder bird."
Double Challenge|James Arthur Kjelgaard
The men removed ropes from under their coat and began to unwind them.
Boy Scouts on the Great Divide|Archibald Lee Fletcher
Straightway, Jean flung herself down beside her, beginning to unwind her long braids of hair.
The Ranch Girls' Pot of Gold|Margaret Vandercook
Then they stand still for a time, after which they reverse, unwind themselves, and then disperse.
Peeps at many lands: Sweden|William Liddle
It calls for all his skill as a rastrero, with some considerable time, to unwind the tangled skein.
Gaspar the Gaucho|Mayne Reid

British Dictionary definitions for unwind

unwind

verb -winds, -winding or -wound

to slacken, undo, or unravel or cause to slacken, undo, or unravel

(tr) to disentangle

to make or become relaxedhe finds it hard to unwind after a busy day at work

Derived Formsunwindable, adjectiveunwinder, noun

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

Word Origin and History for unwind

unwind

early 14c., "to undo" (a bandage, wrapping, etc.), from un- (2) + wind (v.). Cf. Old English unwindan, Dutch ontwinden, Old High German intwindan. Refl. sense is recorded from 1740; figurative sense of "to release oneself from tensions, to relax" is recorded from 1938. Related: Unwound; unwinding.