loose
(redirected from loosed)Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
loose
not tight or bound: loose clothing
Not to be confused with:
lose – to experience loss: lose your keys; lose money
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
loose
(lo͞os)adj. loos·er, loos·est
1. Not fastened, restrained, or contained: loose bricks.
2. Not taut, fixed, or rigid: a loose anchor line; a loose chair leg.
3. Free from confinement or imprisonment; unfettered: criminals loose in the neighborhood; dogs that are loose on the streets.
4. Not tight-fitting or tightly fitted: loose shoes.
5. Not bound, bundled, stapled, or gathered together: loose papers.
6. Not compact or dense in arrangement or structure: loose gravel.
7. Lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; idle: loose talk.
8. Not formal; relaxed: a loose atmosphere at the club.
9. Lacking conventional moral restraint in sexual behavior.
10. Not literal or exact: a loose translation.
11. Characterized by a free movement of fluids in the body: a loose cough; loose bowels.
adv.
In a loose manner.
tr.v. loosed, loos·ing, loos·es
Idiom: 1. To let loose; release: loosed the dogs.
2. To make loose; undo: loosed his belt.
3. To cast loose; detach: hikers loosing their packs at camp.
4. To let fly; discharge: loosed an arrow.
5. To release pressure or obligation from; absolve: loosed her from the responsibility.
6. To make less strict; relax: a leader's strong authority that was loosed by easy times.
on the loose
1. At large; free.
2. Acting in an uninhibited fashion.
loose′ly adv.
loose′ness n.
Synonyms: loose, lax, slack1
These adjectives mean not tautly bound, held, or fastened: loose reins; a lax rope; slack sails.
These adjectives mean not tautly bound, held, or fastened: loose reins; a lax rope; slack sails.
Antonym: tight
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
loose
(luːs)adj
1. free or released from confinement or restraint
2. not close, compact, or tight in structure or arrangement
3. not fitted or fitting closely: loose clothing is cooler.
4. not bundled, packaged, fastened, or put in a container: loose nails.
5. inexact; imprecise: a loose translation.
6. (Banking & Finance) (of funds, cash, etc) not allocated or locked away; readily available
7.
a. (esp of women) promiscuous or easy
b. (of attitudes, ways of life, etc) immoral or dissolute
8. lacking a sense of responsibility or propriety: loose talk.
9. (Medicine)
a. (of the bowels) emptying easily, esp excessively; lax
b. (of a cough) accompanied by phlegm, mucus, etc
10. (Dyeing) (of a dye or dyed article) fading as a result of washing; not fast
11. informal chiefly US and Canadian very relaxed; easy
n
12. (Rugby) the loose rugby the part of play when the forwards close round the ball in a ruck or loose scrum. See scrum
13. on the loose
a. free from confinement or restraint
b. informal on a spree
adv
14.
a. in a loose manner; loosely
b. (in combination): loose-fitting.
15. hang loose informal chiefly US to behave in a relaxed, easy fashion
vb
16. (tr) to set free or release, as from confinement, restraint, or obligation
17. (tr) to unfasten or untie
18. to make or become less strict, tight, firmly attached, compact, etc
19. (when: intr, often foll by off) to let fly (a bullet, arrow, or other missile)
[C13 (in the sense: not bound): from Old Norse lauss free; related to Old English lēas free from, -less]
ˈloosely adv
ˈlooseness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
loose
(lus)adj. loos•er, loos•est,
adv., v. adj.
1. free or released from fastening or attachment: a loose end.
2. not firmly fixed or attached: a loose tooth; a loose board in a floor.
3. free from confinement or restraint; unfettered: loose cats prowling around.
4. not bound together: loose papers; to wear one's hair loose.
5. not put up in a package or other container: loose mushrooms.
6. not fitting closely or tightly: a loose sweater.
7. not firm, taut, or rigid: loose skin; a loose rein.
8. relaxed or limber in nature: to run with a loose, open stride.
9. not close or compact in structure or arrangement: a loose weave.
10. imposing few restraints; allowing freedom for independent action: a loose federation of city-states.
11. not strict, exact, or precise: a loose translation.
12. available for disposal; not appropriated: loose funds.
13. lacking in reticence or power of restraint: a loose tongue.
14. (of the bowels) lax.
15. lacking moral restraint or integrity: loose character.
16. sexually promiscuous or immoral.
17. uncombined, as a chemical element.
adv. 18. in a loose manner; loosely (often used in combination): loose-fitting.
v.t. 19. to free from bonds or restraint.
20. to release, as from constraint, obligation, or penalty.
21. to set free from fastening or attachment: to loose a boat from its moorings.
22. to unfasten, undo, or untie, as a bond or knot.
23. to shoot; discharge; let fly: to loose missiles at the invaders.
24. to make less tight; slacken.
v.i. 25. to let go a hold.
26. to hoist anchor; get under way.
27. to shoot or let fly an arrow, bullet, etc. (often fol. by off).
Idioms: 1. break loose, to free oneself; escape.
2. cast loose, to unfasten; set adrift; free.
3. cut loose,
a. to release or be released from domination.
b. to behave wildly; carouse.
4. hang or stay loose,Informal. to remain relaxed and unperturbed.
5. let loose,
a. to free or become free.
b. to yield; give way.
c. to speak or act with unrestricted freedom.
6. on the loose,
a. free; unconfined.
b. behaving in a free or unrestrained way.
7. turn or set loose, to free from confinement.
[1175–1225; Middle English los, loos < Old Norse lauss loose, free, empty, c. Old English lēas; see -less]
loose′ly, adv.
loose′ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
loose
– lose1. 'loose'
Loose /luːs/ is an adjective. It means 'not firmly fixed', or 'not tight'.
The handle is loose.
Mary wore loose clothes.
2. 'lose'
Lose /luːz/ is a verb. If you lose something, you no longer have it, or you cannot find it.
I don't want to lose my job.
If you lose your credit card, let the company know immediately.
The other forms of lose are loses, losing, lost.
They were willing to risk losing their jobs.
He had lost his passport.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
loose
Past participle: loosed
Gerund: loosing
| Imperative |
|---|
| loose |
| loose |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. |  loose - grant freedom to; free from confinementunspell - release from a spell unchain - make free bail - release after a security has been paid run - set animals loose to graze bail out - free on bail parole - release a criminal from detention and place him on parole; "The prisoner was paroled after serving 10 years in prison" |
| 2. | loose - turn loose or free from restraint; "let loose mines"; "Loose terrible plagues upon humanity" let go, let go of, release, relinquish - release, as from one's grip; "Let go of the door handle, please!"; "relinquish your grip on the rope--you won't fall" | |
| 3. | loose - make loose or looser; "loosen the tension on a rope" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" slack - release tension on; "slack the rope" unscrew - loosen something by unscrewing it; "unscrew the outlet plate" unscrew - loosen by turning; "unscrew the bottle cap" | |
| 4. | loose - become loose or looser or less tight; "The noose loosened"; "the rope relaxed" weaken - become weaker; "The prisoner's resistance weakened after seven days" | |
| Adj. | 1. | loose - not compact or dense in structure or arrangement; "loose gravel" compact - closely and firmly united or packed together; "compact soil"; "compact clusters of flowers" |
| 2. | loose - (of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player; "a loose ball" uncontrolled - not being under control; out of control; "the greatest uncontrolled health problem is AIDS"; "uncontrolled growth" | |
| 3. | loose - not tight; not closely constrained or constricted or constricting; "loose clothing"; "the large shoes were very loose" lax - lacking in strength or firmness or resilience; "a lax rope"; "a limp handshake" tight - closely constrained or constricted or constricting; "tight skirts"; "he hated tight starched collars"; "fingers closed in a tight fist"; "a tight feeling in his chest" | |
| 4. | loose - not officially recognized or controlled; "an informal agreement"; "a loose organization of the local farmers" unofficial - not having official authority or sanction; "a sort of unofficial mayor"; "an unofficial estimate"; "he participated in an unofficial capacity" | |
| 5. | loose - not literal; "a loose interpretation of what she had been told"; "a free translation of the poem" inexact - not exact | |
| 6. | loose - emptying easily or excessively; "loose bowels" unconstipated, regular - not constipated | |
| 7. |  loose - not affixed; "the stamp came loose" | |
| 8. | loose - not tense or taut; "the old man's skin hung loose and grey"; "slack and wrinkled skin"; "slack sails"; "a slack rope" lax - lacking in strength or firmness or resilience; "a lax rope"; "a limp handshake" | |
| 9. | loose - (of textures) full of small openings or gaps; "an open texture"; "a loose weave" | |
| 10. | loose - lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; "idle talk"; "a loose tongue" irresponsible - showing lack of care for consequences; "behaved like an irresponsible idiot"; "hasty and irresponsible action" | |
| 11. | loose - not carefully arranged in a package; "a box of loose nails" unpackaged - not packaged or put into packets; "unpackaged nuts" | |
| 12. |  loose - having escaped, especially from confinement; "a convict still at large"; "searching for two escaped prisoners"; "dogs loose on the streets"; "criminals on the loose in the neighborhood"free - able to act at will; not hampered; not under compulsion or restraint; "free enterprise"; "a free port"; "a free country"; "I have an hour free"; "free will"; "free of racism"; "feel free to stay as long as you wish"; "a free choice" | |
| 13. |  loose - casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior; "her easy virtue"; "he was told to avoid loose (or light) women"; "wanton behavior"unchaste - not chaste; "unchaste conduct" | |
| Adv. | 1. | loose - without restraint; "cows in India are running loose" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
loose
adjective
1. free, detached, insecure, unfettered, released, floating, wobbly, unsecured, unrestricted, untied, unattached, movable, unfastened, unbound, unconfined A page came loose and floated onto the tiles.
2. untethered, free, roaming, at large, on the run, fugitive, unconfined He was chased by a loose dog.
untethered tied, secured, bound, curbed, restrained, fastened, tethered, fettered
untethered tied, secured, bound, curbed, restrained, fastened, tethered, fettered
3. slack, easy, hanging, relaxed, loosened, not fitting, sloppy, baggy, slackened, loose-fitting, not tight Wear loose clothes as they're more comfortable.
slack tight
slack tight
4. (Old-fashioned) promiscuous, fast, abandoned, immoral, dissipated, lewd, wanton, profligate, disreputable, debauched, dissolute, libertine, licentious, unchaste casual sex and loose morals
promiscuous moral, disciplined, virtuous, chaste
promiscuous moral, disciplined, virtuous, chaste
5. vague, random, inaccurate, disordered, rambling, diffuse, indefinite, disconnected, imprecise, ill-defined, indistinct, inexact We came to some sort of loose arrangement before he went home.
vague clear, accurate, exact, precise, concise
vague clear, accurate, exact, precise, concise
verb
at a loose end idle, with nothing to do They're most likely to get into trouble when they're at a loose end.
on the loose free, roaming, at large, on the run, untied, at liberty, unrestrained, unchained, unconfined A man-eating lion is on the loose.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
loose
adjective2. Able to move about at will without bounds or restraint:
3. Marked by an absence of conventional restraint in sexual behavior; sexually unrestrained:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
loose
[luːs]A. ADJ (looser (compar) (loosest (superl)))
1. (= not firmly attached) [thread, wire, screw, brick, page] → suelto; [handle, knob] → desatornillado; [tooth] → flojo, que se mueve
this button is loose → este botón está a punto de caerse
to come or get or work loose [thread, wire, brick] → soltarse; [screw] → aflojarse; [page] → desprenderse; [knob, handle] → aflojarse, desatornillarse
see also screw A1
see also connection 1
this button is loose → este botón está a punto de caerse
to come or get or work loose [thread, wire, brick] → soltarse; [screw] → aflojarse; [page] → desprenderse; [knob, handle] → aflojarse, desatornillarse
see also screw A1
see also connection 1
3. (= not tight) [clothes] → holgado, amplio; [bandage, tie] → flojo
these trousers are too loose round the waist → estos pantalones son muy anchos de cintura
these trousers are too loose round the waist → estos pantalones son muy anchos de cintura
4. (= not taut) [skin] → flácido, colgón
5. (= not dense) [mixture, soil, powder] → suelto
to be of a loose consistency → tener poca consistencia
to be of a loose consistency → tener poca consistencia
6. (= not tied up) [animal] → suelto
he was chased by a loose dog → le persiguió un perro que andaba suelto
to let or set sth/sb loose → soltar algo/a algn
when the cub had recovered it was set loose in the wild → cuando el cachorro se recuperó lo soltaron or lo dejaron en libertad
the affair has let loose dangerous political forces → el asunto ha desatado fuerzas políticas peligrosas
inexperienced doctors were let loose on seriously ill patients → se dejó que médicos sin experiencia trataran a pacientes gravemente enfermos
see also break C7
see also cut C1
see also hell A1
he was chased by a loose dog → le persiguió un perro que andaba suelto
to let or set sth/sb loose → soltar algo/a algn
when the cub had recovered it was set loose in the wild → cuando el cachorro se recuperó lo soltaron or lo dejaron en libertad
the affair has let loose dangerous political forces → el asunto ha desatado fuerzas políticas peligrosas
inexperienced doctors were let loose on seriously ill patients → se dejó que médicos sin experiencia trataran a pacientes gravemente enfermos
see also break C7
see also cut C1
see also hell A1
7. (= flexible) [alliance, coalition, grouping] → libre; [organization] → poco rígido; [arrangement] → flexible
a loose confederation of sovereign republics → una confederación libre de repúblicas soberanas
a loose confederation of sovereign republics → una confederación libre de repúblicas soberanas
8. (= imprecise) [meaning, expression] → poco preciso, vago; [style, interpretation] → libre; [translation] → aproximado
he despised loose thinking → odiaba toda forma de pensar vaga
in loose terms, it could be called a religion → haciendo un uso un tanto libre del término, podría llamarse religión
he despised loose thinking → odiaba toda forma de pensar vaga
in loose terms, it could be called a religion → haciendo un uso un tanto libre del término, podría llamarse religión
9. (= not packaged) [carrots, potatoes] → suelto, a granel (Comm) to buy/sell sth loose → vender algo suelto or a granel
10. (o.f., pej) (= immoral) [behaviour, attitudes] → disoluto; [morals] → disoluto, libertino
a loose woman → una mujer de vida alegre (pej), una mujer fácil (o.f., pej)
see also living B2
a loose woman → una mujer de vida alegre (pej), una mujer fácil (o.f., pej)
see also living B2
12. (= readily available) [funds] → disponible
loose cash → dinero m en efectivo
loose change → dinero m suelto
loose cash → dinero m en efectivo
loose change → dinero m suelto
B. VT
1. (liter) (= release) [+ animal] → soltar; [+ prisoner] → poner en libertad, soltar
they loosed the dogs on him → le soltaron los perros
they loosed the dogs on him → le soltaron los perros
C. N to be on the loose [person, gang] → andar suelto
E. CPD loose box N → establo m móvil
loose cannon N (fig) → bomba f de relojería
loose chippings NPL (on roadway) → gravilla fsing suelta
loose connection N (Elec) → mala conexión f
loose cover N (Brit) (for furniture) → funda f lavable, funda f que se puede quitar
loose end N (fig) → cabo m suelto
to tie up loose ends → atar los cabos sueltos
to be at a loose end (fig) → no saber qué hacer
loose scrum N (Rugby) → melé f abierta or espontánea
loose talk N → palabrería f
loose tongue N to have a loose tongue → tener la lengua suelta, ser ligero de lengua
loose weave N → tejido m abierto
loose cannon N (fig) → bomba f de relojería
loose chippings NPL (on roadway) → gravilla fsing suelta
loose connection N (Elec) → mala conexión f
loose cover N (Brit) (for furniture) → funda f lavable, funda f que se puede quitar
loose end N (fig) → cabo m suelto
to tie up loose ends → atar los cabos sueltos
to be at a loose end (fig) → no saber qué hacer
loose scrum N (Rugby) → melé f abierta or espontánea
loose talk N → palabrería f
loose tongue N to have a loose tongue → tener la lengua suelta, ser ligero de lengua
loose weave N → tejido m abierto
loose off
A. VT + ADV (esp Brit) [+ ammunition, bullet] → disparar
he loosed off two shots at the oncoming car → disparó dos tiros contra el coche que venía
he loosed off two shots at the oncoming car → disparó dos tiros contra el coche que venía
B. VI + ADV to loose off at sb/sth → disparar a or contra algn/algo
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
loose
(luːs) adjectiveˈloosely adverbˈlooseness nounˈloosen verb2. to relax (eg a hold). He loosened his grip.aflojar
ˌloose-ˈleaf adjective (of a notebook etc) made so that pages can easily be added or removed. de hojas sueltas
break loose to escape. The prisoner broke loose.escaparse
let loose to free from control. The circus trainer has let the lions loose.soltar
a loose (not lose) screw.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
loose
→ holgado , sueltoMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
loose
a. suelto-a, desatado-a, libre;
___ bowels → deposiciones blandas o aguadas;
v. desatar, desprender, aflojar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
loose
adj suelto, flojoEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.