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loose. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
loose, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
loose in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
loose you have here. The definition of the word
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loose, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology 1
From Middle English loos, los, lous, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, whence also -less, leasing; from Proto-Indo-European *lewH-, *lū- (“to untie, set free, separate”), whence also lyo-, -lysis, via Ancient Greek.
Pronunciation
Verb
loose (third-person singular simple present looses, present participle loosing, simple past and past participle loosed)
- (transitive) To let loose, to free from restraints.
1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:"Ay, and one was nigh to being slain by the hot-pot to be eaten of those brutes, thy children, and had not the others fought gallantly they too had been slain, and not even I could have called back the life which had been loosed from the body."
- (transitive) To unfasten, to loosen.
- (transitive) To make less tight, to loosen.
- (intransitive) Of a grip or hold, to let go.
- (archery) To shoot (an arrow).
- (obsolete) To set sail.
- (obsolete) To solve; to interpret.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations
to let loose
- Bulgarian: освобождавам (bg) (osvoboždavam)
- Catalan: deslligar (ca)
- Dutch: loslaten (nl), verlossen (nl)
- Finnish: vapauttaa (fi), irrottaa (fi), päästää (fi)
- Galician: ceibar, soltar (gl)
- German: lösen (de)
- Greek:
- Ancient: λύω (lúō)
- Irish: scaoil, scaoil amach
- Portuguese: soltar (pt), liberar (pt), libertar (pt)
- Russian: освобожда́ть (ru) impf (osvoboždátʹ), освободи́ть (ru) pf (osvobodítʹ), отвя́зывать (ru) impf (otvjázyvatʹ), отвяза́ть (ru) pf (otvjazátʹ)
- Spanish: soltar (es), desatar (es), liberar (es)
- Swedish: lossa (sv)
- Telugu: త్యజించు (te) (tyajiñcu)
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Adjective
loose (comparative looser, superlative loosest)
- Not fixed in place tightly or firmly.
This wheelbarrow has a loose wheel.
- Not held or packaged together.
You can buy apples in a pack, but they are cheaper loose.
- Not under control.
The dog is loose again.
2020 October 15, Frank Pasquale, “‘Machines set loose to slaughter’: the dangerous rise of military AI”, in The Guardian:The very idea of a machine set loose to slaughter is chilling.
1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. , London: J Tonson, , published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene v, page 4:Now I stand / Loose of my vow; but who knows Cato's thoughts?
- Not fitting closely
I wear loose clothes when it is hot.
- Not compact.
It is difficult walking on loose gravel.
a cloth of loose texture
- Relaxed.
She danced with a loose flowing movement.
- Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate.
a loose way of reasoning
1858, William Whewell, The history of scientific ideas:The comparison employed […] must be considered rather as a loose analogy than as an exact scientific explanation.
- Indiscreet.
Loose talk costs lives.
- (somewhat dated) Free from moral restraint; immoral, unchaste.
1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, section I:In all these he was much and deeply read; / But not a page of any thing that's loose, / Or hints continuation of the species, / Was ever suffer'd, lest he should grow vicious.
1826, [Walter Scott], Woodstock; Or, The Cavalier. , volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, →OCLC:the loose morality which he had learned
- (not comparable, sports) Not being in the possession of any competing team during a game.
He caught an elbow going after a loose ball.
The puck was momentarily loose right in front of the net.
2011 September 28, Tom Rostance, “Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiakos”, in BBC Sport:Tomas Rosicky released the left-back with a fine pass but his low cross was cut out by Ivan Marcano. However the Brazilian was able to collect the loose ball, cut inside and roll a right-footed effort past Franco Costanzo at his near post.
- (dated) Not costive; having lax bowels.
- (of volumes of materials) Measured loosely stacked or disorganized (such as of firewood).
- Coordinate terms: stacked, solid
- (US, slang, motor racing, of a stock car) Having oversteer.
- (slang, vulgar, of either a woman's anus or vagina) abnormally wide after multiple penetrations due to having had sexual intercourse multiple times.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of "not fixed in place tightly or firmly"): firm, tight; see also Thesaurus:tight
- (antonym(s) of "not held or packaged together"): packaged
- (antonym(s) of "not bound or tethered or leashed"): bound, leashed, tethered, tied, tied up
- (antonym(s) of "not fitting closely"): close-fitting, snug, tight; see also Thesaurus:close-fitting
- (antonym(s) of "not compact"): compact, firm; see also Thesaurus:compact
- (antonym(s) of "relaxed"): tense, tensed
- (antonym(s) of "indiscreet"): discreet
- (antonym(s) of "promiscuous"): faithful, monogamous
- (antonym(s) of "oversteer"): tight
Derived terms
Translations
not fixed tightly
- Arabic: فَضْفَاض (faḍfāḍ)
- Armenian: արձակ (hy) (arjak), արձակված (arjakvac)
- Bikol Central: mahiwas (bcl)
- Bulgarian: незакрепен (bg) (nezakrepen), незавързан (nezavǎrzan)
- Catalan: fluix (ca)
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 鬆/松 (sung1)
- Mandarin: 鬆動/松动 (zh) (sōngdòng), 鬆弛/松弛 (zh) (sōngchí)
- Czech: volný (cs) m
- Dutch: los (nl)
- Esperanto: loza (eo)
- Finnish: löysä (fi), irti (fi)
- French: lâche (fr), mal fixé
- Galician: frouxo (gl), solto
- Georgian: please add this translation if you can
- German: lose (de), locker (de)
- Greek: χαλαρός (el) m (chalarós)
- Ancient: χαλαρός (khalarós)
- Hungarian: laza (hu)
- Irish: scaoilte, scaoilteach
- Italian: sciolto (it)
- Japanese: 緩んだ (ja) (yurunda)
- Khmer: រលុង (km) (rɔlung)
- Korean: 헐렁하다 (ko) (heolleonghada)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: شل (şil)
- Northern Kurdish: sist (ku)
- Latin: solūtus (la)
- Malay: longgar (ms)
- Maori: tangatanga, tangatanga, tatere, kaupe, hāngengangenga, takō, tāwēwē
- Marathi: सैल (sail)
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: løs (no)
- Occitan: flus (oc)
- Ottoman Turkish: گوشك (gevşek)
- Persian: لق (fa) (laq), هرز (fa) (harz)
- Plautdietsch: looss
- Polish: luźny (pl)
- Portuguese: frouxo (pt) m, solto (pt) m
- Russian: непривя́занный (neprivjázannyj), неприкреплённый (ru) (neprikrepljónnyj), развя́занный (ru) (razvjázannyj), распу́щенный (ru) (raspúščennyj) (of hair)
- Scottish Gaelic: sgaoilte
- Spanish: flojo (es), suelto (es)
- Swedish: lös (sv)
- Telugu: గట్టిగా బిగించని (gaṭṭigā bigiñcani)
- Thai: หลวม (th) (lǔuam)
- Turkish: gevşek (tr)
- Vietnamese: rộng (vi)
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not fitting tightly
- Azerbaijani: şalaq, gen
- Bulgarian: хлабав (bg) (hlabav)
- Czech: volný (cs) m
- Dutch: ruim (nl)
- Finnish: väljä (fi), avara (fi)
- French: lousse (fr) (Quebec, slang), ample (fr), pas serré
- Georgian: please add this translation if you can
- Greek: ευρύχωρος (el) m (evrýchoros)
- Ancient: χαλαρός (khalarós)
- Irish: scaoilte
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: شل (şil)
- Northern Kurdish: fireh (ku)
- Latin: laxus
- Maori: tangatanga, ango, mahaki
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: løs (no), løs (no)
- Nynorsk: laus
- Persian: گشاد (fa) (gošâd)
- Polish: luźny (pl)
- Portuguese: frouxo (pt) m, largo (pt) m
- Russian: просто́рный (ru) (prostórnyj), широ́кий (ru) (širókij), свобо́дный (ru) (svobódnyj)
- Scottish Gaelic: sgaoilte
- Telugu: గట్టిగా కట్టని (gaṭṭigā kaṭṭani)
- Thai: หลวม (th) (lǔuam)
- Turkish: bol (tr)
- Ukrainian: вільний (uk) (vilʹnyj)
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promiscuous
- Bulgarian: разпуснат (bg) (razpusnat)
- Catalan: promiscu (ca)
- Finnish: löyhätapainen, epäsiveellinen
- French: débauché (fr), facile (fr)
- German: zügellos (de), ausschweifend (de), los (de)
- Greek: έκλυτος (el) m (éklytos), ακόλαστος (el) m (akólastos)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: سووک (sûk)
- Maori: tarau makere
- Portuguese: promíscuo (pt)
- Russian: распу́щенный (ru) (raspúščennyj), распу́тный (ru) (raspútnyj)
- Spanish: promiscuo (es), libertino, golfo (es), ligero (es)
- Swedish: lösaktig (sv), promiskuös (sv)
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Translations to be checked
Noun
loose (plural looses)
- (archery) The release of an arrow.
1641, Ben Jonson, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter:In throwing a Dart, or Iavelin, wee force back our armes, to make our loose the stronger.
- (obsolete) A state of laxity or indulgence; unrestrained freedom, abandonment.
- (rugby) All play other than set pieces (scrums and line-outs).
2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France:The defeat will leave manager Martin Johnson under pressure after his gamble of pairing Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood at 10 and 12 failed to ignite the England back line, while his forwards were repeatedly second best at the set-piece and in the loose.
- Freedom from restraint.
1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. , London: J Tonson, , published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene iv, page 1:Vent all its griefs, and give a loose to sorrow.
1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A Millar, , →OCLC:The doctor now interposed, and prevented the effects of a wrath which was kindling between Jones and Thwackum; after which the former gave a loose to mirth, sang two or three amorous songs, and fell into every frantic disorder which unbridled joy is apt to inspire […]
- A letting go; discharge.
Derived terms
Interjection
loose
- (archery) begin shooting; release your arrows
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of "archery: begin shooting"): fast
Translations
Related terms
Etymology 2
Verb
loose
- Misspelling of lose.
- I'm going to loose this game.
Derived terms
Anagrams
French
Etymology
Hypercorrectively from English lose or from looseur.
Pronunciation
Noun
loose f (uncountable)
- Great pettiness, shabbiness