Home / Dictionary / Relax

Relax Very Common

Relax has 9 different meanings across 1 category:

Verb

Definitions
Verb
1

become less tense, rest, or take one's ease

"He relaxed in the hot tub"

"Let's all relax after a hard day's work"

2

make less taut

"relax the tension on the rope"

3

become loose or looser or less tight

"The noose loosened"

"the rope relaxed"

4

cause to feel relaxed

"A hot bath always relaxes me"

5

become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner

"our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group"

6

make less severe or strict

"The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught"

7

become less severe or strict

"The rules relaxed after the new director arrived"

8

make less active or fast

"He slackened his pace as he got tired"

"Don't relax your efforts now"

9

To calm down.

"After taking deep breaths, she managed to relax and stop feeling so anxious about the test."

Example Sentences
"He relaxed in the hot tub" verb
"Let's all relax after a hard day's work" verb
"relax the tension on the rope" verb
"The noose loosened" verb
"the rope relaxed" verb
"A hot bath always relaxes me" verb
"our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group" verb
"The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught" verb
"The rules relaxed after the new director arrived" verb
"He slackened his pace as he got tired" verb
Related Terms
Antonyms
tense up stiffen strain
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
change state loosen weaken affect act change decrease
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
vege out sit back unbrace unbend

Origin

The word "relax" comes from the Latin verb relaxare, meaning to loosen or open. It entered English through Middle French and originally described the physical act of loosening something before taking on its modern sense of easing tension.

Rhyming Words
lax flax galax malax oplax unlax mbalax phylax fallax smilax spalax chillax gravlax parallax toadflax esquilax earthflax obatoclax myeloplax gonyaulax
Compare
Relax vs