Loosen

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈluːsn̩/

Definitions

1. to make something less tight, firm, or restricted by reducing tension or constraint
2. To reduce the tightness of an object, making it more relaxed and allowing for easier movement or access
3. To release or diminish the tension or constraint of an object, thereby making it more flexible and allowing for greater ease of use or adjustment

Etymology: "Loosen" is about as plain as English word-building gets: it is the adjective "loose" with the suffix "-en" added to turn it into a verb meaning "to make loose." The suffix goes back to an old Germanic verb-forming ending, the same one that gives us "soften," "harden," and "widen," so "loosen" follows a pattern that English has used for well over a thousand years. The adjective underneath it has a longer story. "Loose" comes from Old Norse "lauss," meaning free, unfastened, or unbound, which entered Middle English in the centuries after Scandinavian settlers arrived in northern and eastern England. The adjective itself is therefore a Norse loan, and "loosen" inherited its core sense of releasing something from fastening.

Synonyms: relax, untie, unfasten

Antonyms: tighten, fasten