loosen up
loosen up · loosens up · loosened up · loosening up
To become loose; to loosen; to relaxTo become loose; to loosen; to relax (a muscle, etc.).
Meaning
2 senses(intransitive)To become loose; to loosen; to relax (a muscle, etc.).
(colloquial)To relax; to act less seriously.
More definitions
- become less tense, rest, or take one's ease
- cause to become unblocked
- become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner
- make one's body limber or suppler by stretching, as if to prepare for strenuous physical activity
Examples
19 sentencesYou need to loosen up a little.
Тобі треба трохи розслабитися. — deniko
Tom needs to loosen up a little.
Tom has got to loosen up a little.
You need to loosen up and have some fun.
ruВам нужно расслабиться и немного повеселиться. — odexed
I like to do a few exercises to loosen up before I run.
deIch möchte vor dem Laufen ein paar Lockerungsübungen machen. — Wolf
Origin
Compare Old Norse leysa upp (“loosen up”).Compare Old Norse leysa upp (“loosen up”).
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Forms
loosens up, loosening up, loosened up, loosened up| Base form | loosen up · to loosen up |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | loosens up |
| Present participle | loosening up |
| Past simple | loosened up |
| Past participle | loosened up |
irregular
Synonyms
11 synonymsClose in meaning
- become less tense, rest, or take one's ease:relaxunbendunwinddecompressslow down
- cause to become unblocked:unstuff
- become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner:relax
- make one's body limber or suppler by stretching, as if to prepare for strenuous physical activity:limber upwarm up
- cause to feel relaxed:relaxunstrainunlaxunwindmake relaxed
Lessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Phrasal verbs: introduction — Because it is a phrasal verb