loosened

Thân thiện

The gardener loosened the soil around the plant.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Made less tight or less firmly fixed: Describes something that has been made less tight, less secure, or less firmly attached than before.
   • Freed from restraint or constraint: Describes a state of being less restricted, more relaxed, or less bound by rules or tension.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • After the hike, he untied his loosened shoelaces. (The laces were no longer tight.)
  • The loosened soil made it easier to plant the new flowers. (The soil was less compact.)
  • Her grip on the rope had loosened, making it dangerous. (Her hold became less firm.)
  • In the loosened regulations, small businesses found new opportunities. (The rules became less strict.)

Advanced Usage

• "loosened up": (Often used as a phrasal verb 'to loosen up') To become more relaxed, less tense, or more flexible.
  • After a few jokes, the atmosphere loosened up and everyone felt more comfortable.
• Describing a gradual or partial change in state.
  • The loosened bolt was the first sign of mechanical failure.

Variants and Related Words

• Loosen (verb): To make something less tight or firm.
  • Please loosen the knot so I can untie it.
• Loose (adjective): Not firmly or tightly fixed in place; not tight.
  • Be careful, that floorboard is loose.
• Loosening (noun): The act or process of making something less tight.
  • The loosening of the laws took several years.

Synonyms

• Slackened: Made less taut or intense.
• Relaxed: Made less tense or rigid.
• Unfastened: Opened or undone.
• Eased: Made less severe or demanding.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Loosen up: To relax physically or mentally; to make something less stiff.
  • You should loosen up your muscles before exercising.
• Loosen off: To unscrew or detach something by making it less tight (less common).
  • He loosened off the old pipe fitting.

Related Idioms

• Loosen someone's tongue: To make someone more willing to talk, often by making them feel relaxed or by using alcohol.
  • The friendly environment loosened his tongue, and he shared the story.
• Loosen the purse strings: To become more willing to spend money.
  • The company finally loosened the purse strings for the research department.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. straightened out

Từ đồng nghĩa

• disentangled
• unsnarled