relax Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb become less tense, rest, or take one's ease
    unwind; unbend; decompress; slow down; loosen up.
    • He relaxed in the hot tub
    • Let's all relax after a hard day's work
  2. verb make less taut
    unbend.
    • relax the tension on the rope
  3. verb become loose or looser or less tight
    loosen; loose.
    • The noose loosened
    • the rope relaxed
  4. verb cause to feel relaxed
    unwind; unlax; make relaxed; loosen up; unstrain.
    • A hot bath always relaxes me
  5. verb become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner
    loosen up.
    • our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group
  6. verb make less severe or strict
    loosen.
    • The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught
  7. verb become less severe or strict
    loosen.
    • The rules relaxed after the new director arrived
  8. verb make less active or fast
    slack up; slack; slacken.
    • He slackened his pace as he got tired
    • Don't relax your efforts now

WordNet

Re*lax" transitive verb
Etymology
L. relaxare; pref. re- re- + laxare to loose, to slacken, from laxus loose. See Lax, and cf. Relay, n., Release.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Relaxed present participle & verbal noun Relaxing
Definitions
  1. To make lax or loose; to make less close, firm, rigid, tense, or the like; to slacken; to loosen; to open; as, to relax a rope or cord; to relax the muscles or sinews.
    Horror . . . all his joints relaxed. Milton.
    Nor served it to relax their serried files. Milton.
  2. To make less severe or rogorous; to abate the stringency of; to remit in respect to strenuousness, esrnestness, or effort; as, to relax discipline; to relax one's attention or endeavors.
    The stature of mortmain was at several times relaxed by the legilature. Swift.
  3. Hence, to relieve from attention or effort; to ease; to recreate; to divert; as, amusement relaxes the mind.
  4. To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open; as, an aperient relaxes the bowels. Syn. -- To slacken; loosen; loose; remit; abate; mitigate; ease; unbend; divert.
Re*lax" intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To become lax, weak, or loose; as, to let one's grasp relax.
    His knees relax with toil. Pope.
  2. To abate in severity; to become less rigorous.
    In others she relaxed again, And governed with a looser rein. Prior.
  3. To remit attention or effort; to become less diligent; to unbend; as, to relax in study.
Re*lax" noun
Definitions
  1. Relaxation. Obs. Feltham.
Re**lax" adjective
Definitions
  1. Relaxed; lax; hence, remiss; careless.

Webster 1913