English Explanatory Dictionary

relax

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To make something loose.
  2. To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open.
  3. To become loose.
  4. To relieve (someone or someone's mind) of stress; to enable to rest; to calm down.
  5. To rest and become relieved of stress.
  6. To make something less severe or tense.
  7. To become less severe or tense.
  8. To make something (such as codes and regulations) more lenient.
  9. To become more lenient.

Pronunciation

/ɹɪˈlæks/ en-us-relax.ogg

Word forms

relax relaxes relaxing relaxed

Etymology

From Middle English relaxen, from Old French relaxer, from Latin relaxāre (“relax, loosen, open”), from re- (“back”) + laxāre (“loosen”), from laxus (“loose, free”). By surface analysis, re- + lax (“open, free, loose”).

Synonyms

expand chill out unwind

Antonyms

stress excite

Related words

relaxation

Derived words

chillax overrelax prerelax relaxable relaxacon relaxase relaxative relaxin relaxion relaxographic relaxography relaxometry relaxosome underrelax unlax

Translations

Arabic: اِسْتَرْخَى Arabic: هِدي Arabic: طْلق Bulgarian: разхлабвам Bulgarian: отпускам Bulgarian: смекчавам Catalan: relaxar Catalan: afluixar Chinese Mandarin: 鬆開 /松开 Chinese Mandarin: 放鬆 /放松 Chinese Mandarin: 緩解 /缓解 Chinese Mandarin: 緩和 /缓和 Chinese Mandarin: 缓和 Czech: uvolnit Dutch: losmaken Dutch: ontspannen Finnish: löysentää Finnish: löysätä Finnish: höllentää Finnish: löyhentää French: relâcher Galician: relaxar German: lockern German: entspannen Ido: laxigar Japanese: くつろがせる Japanese: 落ち着かせる Japanese: 和らげる Japanese: 緊張を解く Japanese: 緩和する Japanese: 緩める Latin: relaxō Māori: whakakorokoro Māori: whakangoru Māori: whakatangatanga Norwegian: slappe av Polish: rozluźniać Polish: rozluźnić Polish: poluzowywać Polish: poluzować Polish: łagodzić Polish: złagodzić Portuguese: soltar Portuguese: afrouxar Portuguese: relaxar Romanian: relaxa Romanian: destinde Romanian: desface Russian: расслабля́ть Russian: рассла́бить Russian: ослабля́ть Russian: осла́бить Russian: распуска́ть Russian: распусти́ть Russian: смягча́ть Russian: смягчи́ть Spanish: relajar Spanish: aflojar Thai: ผ่อนคลาย Thai: ลดหย่อน Walloon: laispi Walloon: låtchî Walloon: distinkyî Welsh: llacio Ukrainian: послабля́ти Telugu: సడలించు
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