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
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.
Or for calming music to help you focus this exam season, listen to music stream Radio 3 Unwind on BBC Sounds.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2025
Unwind your spine with a twist, do lunges to stretch your hip flexors, and stretch your spine and hamstrings with a forward fold.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 13, 2022
Turn on, tune in and drop out with the interactive meditation tutorial “Headspace: Unwind Your Mind.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2021
Unwind afterward at the lavishly appointed Gran Hotel Miramar; it opened at the end of 2016 in a historic 1926 Art Nouveau building across from Málaga’s most timeless attraction: Malagueta Beach.
From Time • Oct. 13, 2017
Unwind, un-wīnd′, v.t. to wind down or off.—v.i. to become unwound.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
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.
