relax

verb

ri-LAKS/ɹɪˈlæks/

Formsrelaxes, relaxing, relaxed

9 meanings of relax

Practice

1
verbintransitive
To rest and let go of worry or stress.
Like letting the air out of a balloon slowly.
After a long week, I just want to relax at home.
She finally relaxed once the kids were asleep.
Similarunwind
Note
2
verbtransitive
To help someone feel calm and free from stress.
Like calming a crying baby until it falls asleep.
Soft music can relax even the most anxious guests.
A warm bath always relaxes me after a long day.
Similarcalm, soothe, settle, comfort
Oppositeunsettle, agitate, stress
3
verbintransitive
To become less tense or less harsh.
Like a tight string going loose.
The mood in the room relaxed once the joke landed.
His grip began to relax as he calmed down.
Similarease, soften, thaw, loosen
Oppositeharden, stiffen, tighten
4
verbtransitive
To make something less tight, strict, or tense.
Like loosening a knot so it doesn't pull so hard.
Deep breathing can relax tight shoulders.
She relaxed the tone of the meeting with a joke.
Similarease, loosen, relieve, soften
Oppositetighten, tense
Note
5
verbtransitive
To make rules or laws less strict than before.
Like a teacher letting students hand in homework a day late.
The city relaxed the parking rules during the holidays.
Officials may relax the new limits if cases keep falling.
Similarease, loosen, soften, moderate
Oppositetighten, toughen
Note
6
verbintransitive
To become less strict over time.
Like rules at home getting easier as kids grow older.
Border controls relaxed once the emergency ended.
Over the years, attitudes toward the custom began to relax.
Similarease, loosen, slacken, soften
Oppositetighten
7
verbintransitive
To become loose or less tight.
Like a stretched rubber band going back to normal.
The knot relaxed as the rope took the weight.
His muscles slowly relax after a warm shower.
Similarexpand
Oppositetighten
8
verbtransitive
To make something loose or less tight.
Like opening your hand to let go of something you were squeezing.
She relaxed her grip on the rope.
Massage can relax tight muscles.
Similarloosen, slacken, ease
Oppositetighten, tense
Note

Less common meaning

9
verbdatedtransitive
To help the bowels move and relieve constipation.
Like loosening a clog so water can flow through a pipe again.
Doctors once believed certain herbs could relax the bowels.
The physician prescribed a mild tonic to relax the patient's bowels.
Similarloosen
Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of relax apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from Latin relaxare, meaning to loosen, made from re- (back) and laxare (to loosen), from laxus (loose).