relax
1. become less tense, rest, or take one's ease (Freq. 17)
- He relaxed in the hot tub
- Let's all relax after a hard day's work
• Syn:
loosen up, unbend, unwind, decompress, slow down
• Ant:
tense
• Derivationally related forms:
relaxant, relaxation
• Hypernyms:
change state, turn
• Hyponyms:
vege out, vegetate, sit back, take it easy
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s
- Somebody's (body part) ----s
- Sam and Sue relax
2. make less taut (Freq. 5)
- relax the tension on the rope
• Syn:
unbend
• Derivationally related forms:
relaxation, relaxer
• Hypernyms:
loosen, loose
• Hyponyms:
unbrace
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Something ----s something
3. become loose or looser or less tight (Freq. 3)
- The noose loosened
- the rope relaxed
• Syn:
loosen, loose
• Ant:
stiffen (for: loosen)
• Derivationally related forms:
relaxation, loosening (for: loosen)
• Hypernyms:
weaken
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s
- Somebody ----s
4. cause to feel relaxed (Freq. 1)
- A hot bath always relaxes me
• Syn:
unstrain, unlax, loosen up, unwind, make relaxed
• Ant:
strain (for: unstrain), tense
• Derivationally related forms:
relaxant, relaxation, relaxer
• Hypernyms:
affect
• Hyponyms:
unbend
• Cause:
loosen up, unbend, unwind, decompress, slow down
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Somebody ----s somebody
- Something ----s somebody
- The performance is likely to relax Sue
5. make less severe or strict
- The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught
• Syn:
loosen
• Derivationally related forms:
relaxation
• Hypernyms:
change, alter, modify
• Verb Group:
loosen
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Something ----s something
6. become less severe or strict
- The rules relaxed after the new director arrived
• Syn:
loosen
• Derivationally related forms:
relaxation
• Hypernyms:
change
• Verb Group:
loosen
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s
7. 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
• Syn:
loosen up
• Derivationally related forms:
relaxation
• Hypernyms:
act, behave, do
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s
8. make less active or fast
- He slackened his pace as he got tired
- Don't relax your efforts now
• Syn:
slack, slacken, slack up
• Derivationally related forms:
relaxation, slack (for: slack)
• Hypernyms:
decrease, lessen, minify
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Something ----s something
|
|
