loose
375
4.0
- adverb
- /luːs/
:
suelto
- After the concert, the crowd was finally allowed to disperse and walk loose down the street.
- break loose
- cut loose
- turn loose
Examples
-
Got to keep that brain loose, let that mind fly.
-
Turn student enthusiasm loose to get those pieces written and ready for editorial review.
Academic text (2008) -
Something tells me you shouldn't be running around loose.
-
The problem begins when hay from the bales is pulled loose by cattle and falls to the ground.
Academic text (2003) -
As the residue passes through the trommel, small particles are shaken loose and drop through the mesh.
Academic text (2000) -
The children ran loose in the park, enjoying their freedom on a sunny day.
-
He prefers to keep things loose while working to encourage creativity and innovation.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
6
8.0
Act in a careless way by ignoring rules and other people's feelings
- Informal
1
7.9
A sudden time when many people lose control and chaos starts
- Informal
A warning that careless talk can cause trouble by revealing secrets
Compounds
- Specialized
A way of writing where the main idea comes first and extra details follow
- Specialized
A disease of wheat or barley that turns the grain head into a powder of fungus
How Controlled
Surface Forms
Etymology
Loose comes from an old German word lōs meaning 'free' or 'not held'. So when animals or things run loose they are running free and not controlled.