Relax

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈlæks/

Definitions

1. To become less tense, stressed, or rigid, allowing the body and mind to rest in a calmer state
2. To reduce tension or anxiety, thereby achieving a state of calmness and comfort for both body and mind
3. To alleviate stress and loosen physical or mental constraints, creating an atmosphere conducive to tranquility and ease

Etymology: The verb "relax" carries a physical image at its core: it originally meant to loosen something that had been pulled tight. Its Latin ancestor, "relaxare," combined "re-", meaning back, with "laxare," to loosen, and "laxus," loose or free. So the earliest sense was literal slackening, as of a rope, a grip, or a bowstring, before it came to describe the mind or body easing up. It reached English through Old French "relaxer" and entered Middle English in its original sense of loosening or releasing. Note that "lax" in the word's inner core is the same root that gives English "lax" and "slack," which is why the familiar meaning of letting go of tension sits so naturally beside the older idea of looseness.

Synonyms: unwind, decompress, ease

Antonyms: tense, tighten