relax
to make less tense, rigid, or firm; make lax: to relax the muscles.
to diminish the force of.
to slacken or abate, as effort, attention, etc.
to make less strict or severe, as rules, discipline, etc.: to relax the requirements for a license.
to release or bring relief from the effects of tension, anxiety, etc.: A short swim always relaxes me.
to become less tense, rigid, or firm.
to become less strict or severe; grow milder.
to reduce or stop work, effort, application, etc., especially for the sake of rest or recreation.
to release oneself from inhibition, worry, tension, etc.
Origin of relax
1Other words for relax
Opposites for relax
Other words from relax
- re·lax·a·tive, re·lax·a·tory [ri-lak-suh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], /rɪˈlæk səˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjective
- re·lax·er, noun
- o·ver·re·lax, verb
- un·re·lax·ing, adjective
Words Nearby relax
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use relax in a sentence
Things like sitting in a pile of puppies, or trying new foods, or watching films, or even just relaxing with your partner’s arm around your shoulders.
Because the injected muscle can no longer contract, the wrinkles soften and relax.
Can you get too much Botox? | By Matthew J. Lin/The Conversation | October 1, 2020 | Popular-ScienceIt’s the perfect setting for relaxing after a day spent exploring the adventure capital of Duluth.
Coffee or lemongrass candles aid alertness, whereas lavender and chamomile candles help relax you.
Looking for a small gift idea? Try one of these scented candles | PopSci Commerce Team | September 29, 2020 | Popular-ScienceHold your arms straight along your body, just off the floor, with your shoulders relaxed and down.
Time-Crunched? Try This Effective 10-Minute Workout | Hayden Carpenter | September 29, 2020 | Outside Online
Young Living traffics in essential oils designed to help relax and rejuvenate.
Honey Boo Boo, Snake Oil, and Ebola: The Weird World of Young Living Essential Oils | Kent Sepkowitz | December 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI tried to relax too, but I felt my stomach tighten and I began to sweat.
Libkin found old beds to put in the wild-looking garden around Dacha, so couples in love could relax on them after the meal.
In War-Torn Ukraine, Savva Libkin's Delicious Recipes for Survival | Anna Nemtsova | August 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhy won't anyone let Justin Bieber relax and have a good time?!
An Unlikely Hero Blooms in Ibiza: Orlando Bloom Sort of Punches Justin Bieber | Amy Zimmerman | July 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut as the opening crawl assures, “none of this is canon, so just relax.”
‘Phineas and Ferb’ Pilot Disney’s Premier Voyage into ‘Star Wars’ | Jason Lynch | July 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTYou need but will, and it is done; but if you relax your efforts, you will be ruined; for ruin and recovery are both from within.
Pearls of Thought | Maturin M. BallouThe women at once rose and began to shake out their draperies and relax their muscles.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate ChopinHe braced himself unconsciously, and after Zeal's next words did not relax his body, although his lips turned white and stiff.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonAfter that, one thing led to another, with the result that I offered to find somewhere else to relax.
Fee of the Frontier | Horace Brown FyfeHe repairs to it with eagerness, and clings to it with a tenacity that time cannot relax, nor all the agonies of death dissolve.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John Cunningham
British Dictionary definitions for relax
/ (rɪˈlæks) /
to make (muscles, a grip, etc) less tense or rigid or (of muscles, a grip, etc) to become looser or less rigid
(intr) to take rest or recreation, as from work or effort: on Sundays, she just relaxes; she relaxes by playing golf
to lessen the force of (effort, concentration, etc) or (of effort) to become diminished
to make (rules or discipline) less rigid or strict or (of rules, etc) to diminish in severity
(intr) (of a person) to become less formal; unbend
Origin of relax
1Derived forms of relax
- relaxable, adjective
- relaxed, adjective
- relaxedly (rɪˈlæksɪdlɪ), adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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