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Glite Dictionary
to unwind after work

to unwind after work

1 2.7
Relax and feel less stressed after work
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : relajarse después del trabajo
  • Something along the lines of, "great place to unwind after work. Cute bartender."

Examples

  • It's nice to unwind after work.

    See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)

  • Many people find it helpful to unwind after work by listening to music at home.

  • She likes to unwind after work by reading a good book in her favorite chair.

  • After a long day, he usually takes a warm bath to unwind after work and relax.

Synonyms

to chill out
vsto unwind after work
  • Informal
99 4.9

To relax and become calm after you feel upset

is used for calming down after normal work stress rather than strong emotion
to wind down
vsto unwind after work
  • Informal
39 3.7

To relax after a busy or stressful time and slowly come to an end

refers to relaxing after work rather than a slow ending of events
to unwind
vsto unwind after work
35 3.4

Become relaxed and less tense after work or a stressful time

is identical but highlights easing stress after a day's activities
to blow off steam
vsto unwind after work
  • Informal
14 3.5

Do something active, like go for a run, to feel less angry or stressed

involves calmer stress reduction after ordinary work instead of energetic release
to take a breather
vsto unwind after work
  • Informal
14 3.5

To stop and rest for a short time

means relaxing after the workday rather than a brief pause during work
to decompress
vsto unwind after work
  • Informal
11 4.2

Relax and become less tense after work or stress

focuses specifically on reducing stress after a day's activities
to unstress
vsto unwind after work
4.8

Make someone feel less worried or tense

describes self relaxation after daily work rather than causing relief for others

How Relaxed

to unwind after work
1 2.7
to take a break
496 1.4
to take a breather
  • Informal
14 3.5

Surface Forms

unwind after work infinitive
unwinding after work present participle
unwinds after work third person singular
unwound after work past
unwound after work past participle

Morphology

unwind + after + work

The meaning is directly compositional: 'unwind' means to relax or reduce tension and 'after work' simply locates that action in time (following work). This temporal combination is a common, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The phrase unwind after work may come from the simple image of a tight spring or rope being loosened; to unwind is to let the turns come apart so the tension falls. So after a busy day people 'unwind' to 'relax' and 'reduce stress'.