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Glite Dictionary
to let one's hair down

to let one's hair down

8 5.6
Relax and enjoy yourself after being serious or busy
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : desinhibirse
  • Doesn't hurt to let your hair down once in awhile.
  • really let your hair down
  • just let my hair down
  • let your hair down a bit

Examples

  • I just need to let my hair down sometimes.

    Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)

  • Let your hair down for once in your life.

    The Stolen (2017)

  • Do you never let your hair down, woman?

    Leap Year (2010)

  • But you know, maybe you need to let your hair down a little.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • And then she decided to let her hair down.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • I think you need to let your hair down, pet.

    Goal II: Living the Dream (2007)

  • The wedding, the engagement party, and it's all been... a little overwhelming, and I guess I just wanted to let my hair down.

    Good Deeds (2012)

  • You will get the urge to let your hair down and confide in the cool partner.

    Blog text (2)

  • Let your hair down.

    The Next Three Days (2010)

  • After a long week at work, I love to let my hair down and enjoy a night out with friends.

Synonyms

to chill out
vsto let one's hair down
  • Informal
99 4.9

To relax and become calm after you feel upset

leans toward simple calming rather than lively uninhibited behaviour
to unwind
vsto let one's hair down
35 3.4

Become relaxed and less tense after work or a stressful time

focuses more on outward free behaviour rather than calmness alone
to loosen up
vsto let one's hair down
  • Informal
31 3.4

To relax and become less nervous or tense

is about relaxing by behaving freely and uninhibited after restraint
to let loose
vsto let one's hair down
  • Informal
12 3.9

Relax and enjoy yourself without worrying

is the personal choice to relax and behave freely after restraint
to let fluffy off the chain
vsto let one's hair down
  • Informal
9.9

To allow someone to act freely after a time of control

is about an individual relaxing and behaving uninhibited after restraint
to spin down
vsto let one's hair down
  • Informal
6.7

To relax and become less active after a busy time

contrasts by meaning sudden or expressive freeing of behaviour after stress

Antonyms

to suppress
88 5.8

To hold back feelings or reactions

to restrain
86 4.6

Hold a person or thing so it cannot move freely

How Relaxed

to run wild
33 3.9
to cut loose
  • Informal
18 4.4
to let one's hair down
  • Informal
8 5.6
to loosen up
  • Informal
31 3.4
to relax
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

let one's hair down infinitive
let one's hair down past
let one's hair down past participle
letting one's hair down present participle
lets one's hair down third person singular

Morphology

let + one + hair + down

The literal parts ('let' + 'one's' + 'hair' + 'down') describe allowing hair to hang lower, so a B1 learner who knows the words might infer a physical action but not the idiomatic sense of relaxing and behaving freely. The meaning is a metaphorical/cultural extension (letting hair down = loosening restraint) that is not fully predictable from the constituents, so some prior exposure or cultural knowledge is needed.

Etymology

Let one's hair down comes from an old custom where women usually wore their hair tied up in public and only let it down at private parties. That's why it means 'to relax and have fun'.