to loosen up

Examples

• All

• Come on, honey, loosen up, will you?

  Hickey & Boggs (1972)

• Everyone at the table seemed to loosen up a little.

  Fiction book (1991)

• And we'll all loosen up right now.

  Maybe I Do (2023)

• - You guys need to loosen up.

  Bundy Manor (2022)

• I thought you were gonna loosen up.

  Drive-Away Dolls (2024)

• I want you to loosen up.

  Boat Trip (2002)

• Come on, guy, loosen up.

  Fiction book (1992)

• You all really need to get a sense of humor and loosen up a bit.

  Blog text (28)

• I thought it'd be a good idea to loosen up with a little yoga before today's game.

  Ballbuster (2020)

• You should take a break and loosen up to relieve some of that stress.

Synonyms

R

to relax

vsto loosen up

∞ 1.0

To feel less nervous and more calm

is more about easing formal or social stiffness for others

C

to calm down

vsto loosen up

• Informal

594 1.4

To become less angry, excited, or upset

focuses more on reducing formal stiffness or social awkwardness

C

to chill out

vsto loosen up

• Informal

99 4.9

To relax and become calm after you feel upset

is broader, covering both social looseness and informal ease

L

to lighten up

vsto loosen up

• Informal

69 4.1

To become or make someone feel more cheerful and relaxed

targets reducing tension and formality rather than mainly cheerfulness

E

to ease up

vsto loosen up

57 3.7

To make something less strong or strict

applies more to personal tension and lowering social formality

C

to cool it

vsto loosen up

• Informal

55 6.2

To calm down and stop being angry or excited

is broader, used to make social situations less stiff

U

to unwind

vsto loosen up

35 3.4

Become relaxed and less tense after work or a stressful time

is more about quick social easing or lowering formality

W

to warm up

vsto loosen up

21 2.5

Become more friendly and relaxed around other people

is broader, used for dropping formal tone or stiffness

C

to cool down

vsto loosen up

• Informal

19 2.5

Feel less angry or excited

is more about lowering tension or formality among people

R

to rest easy

vsto loosen up

• Informal

16 4.2

Feel calm and not worried after someone reassures you

is more about changing behaviour or tone in social contexts

L

to let loose

vsto loosen up

• Informal

12 3.9

Relax and enjoy yourself without worrying

leans more toward helping people feel less formal or stiff

D

to decompress

vsto loosen up

• Informal

11 4.2

Relax and become less tense after work or stress

often means lowering tension quickly in social or formal settings

M

to mellow out

vsto loosen up

• Informal

10 6.3

Become more relaxed and easygoing

is used more for immediate, social, or situational easing

E

to ease off

vsto loosen up

9 4.0

To become gradually less strong or severe

is more often about making people feel less stiff or formal

L

to let one's hair down

vsto loosen up

• Informal

8 5.6

Relax and enjoy yourself after being serious or busy

is used more generally for small social ease or informal friendliness

B

to breathe easy

vsto loosen up

• Informal

5 3.4

To feel relaxed and relieved after a worrying time

is more active, often used to get people to loosen social formality

U

to unbend

vsto loosen up

1 5.6

Relax and become less tense or formal

focuses more on quick easing of tension in casual situations

U

to unpucker

vsto loosen up

• Informal

7.6

Make a tense person or situation feel more relaxed

is more about individual informal easing and lowering formality

U

to unstrain

vsto loosen up

7.8

To make muscles or nerves feel less tight after stress

is often about reducing formal stiffness or social reserve

U

to unlax

vsto loosen up

• Archaic

9.9

To make the body or mind less tense

is more focused on social or informal easing rather than physical looseness

Antonyms

T

to tense up

• Informal

9 3.7

To make your muscles tight when you feel nervous

How Relaxed

to let loose

• Informal

12 3.9

to relax

∞ 1.0

to loosen up

• Informal

31 3.4

to calm down

• Informal

594 1.4

to compose

33 4.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology