" loose "

1: not tightly fastened, tied, or stretched;

  * e.g., " ... secure your neckerchief with a loose knot "

•  Synonyms : 

•  insecure,

•  lax,

•  loosened,

•  relaxed,

•  slack,

•  slackened,

•  unsecured

•  Antonyms : 

•  taut,

•  tense,

•  tight

2: consisting of particles that do not stick together;

  * e.g., " ... the car wheels slipped on the loose gravel in the driveway "

•  Synonyms : 

•  incoherent,

•  unconsolidated

•  Antonyms : 

•  coherent,

•  compact,

•  dense,

•  packed

3: not bound by rigid standards;

  * e.g., " ... we tend to be loose with the dress code when we aren't hosting clients at the office "

•  Synonyms : 

•  easygoing,

•  flexible,

•  lax,

•  relaxed,

•  slack,

•  unrestrained,

•  unrestricted

•  Antonyms : 

•  hard,

•  harsh,

•  rigid,

•  rigorous,

•  severe,

•  stern,

•  strict

1: as in flexible, supple;

•  Synonyms : 

•  acrobatic,

•  flexible,

•  limber,

•  pliable,

•  pliant,

•  supple,

•  agile,

•  featly,

•  feline,

•  graceful,

•  gracile,

•  light,

•  light-footed,

•  lightsome,

•  lissome,

•  lithe,

•  lithesome,

•  nimble,

•  spry,

•  adroit,

•  deft,

•  dexterous,

•  light-fingered,

•  fleet-footed,

•  sure-footed,

•  athletic,

•  balletic,

•  coordinated

•  Antonyms : 

•  awkward,

•  clumsy,

•  gawky,

•  graceless,

•  klutzy,

•  lumbering,

•  ungainly,

•  ungraceful,

•  uncoordinated,

•  inflexible,

•  rigid,

•  stiff,

•  bungling,

•  inept,

•  maladroit

1: to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force;

  * e.g., " ... the archers loosed a great volley of arrows at the foot soldiers charging towards them "

•  Synonyms : 

•  blast,

•  discharge,

•  fire,

•  shoot,

•  squeeze off

•  Antonyms : 

•  bottle (up),

•  repress,

•  suppress

2: to find emotional release for;

  * e.g., " ... do not loose your pent-up frustrations on the next person who happens by "

•  Synonyms : 

•  release,

•  take out,

•  unleash,

•  vent

•  Antonyms : 

•  bind,

•  confine,

•  enchain,

•  fetter,

•  restrain

3: to set free (as from slavery or confinement);

  * e.g., " ... the ranchers loosed the horses from their stables and into the paddock "

•  Synonyms : 

•  discharge,

•  disenthrall,

•  emancipate,

•  enfranchise,

•  enlarge,

•  free,

•  liberate,

•  loosen,

•  manumit,

•  release,

•  spring,

•  unbind,

•  uncage,

•  unchain,

•  unfetter

•  Antonyms : 

•  bridle,

•  check,

•  constrain,

•  contain,

•  control,

•  curb,

•  govern,

•  hold,

•  inhibit,

•  regulate,

•  rein (in),

•  restrain,

•  smother,

•  tame

1: as in flexibility, litheness;

•  Synonyms : 

•  flexibility,

•  gracefulness,

•  limberness,

•  litheness,

•  suppleness,

•  coordination,

•  handiness,

•  sure-handedness,

•  agility,

•  deftness,

•  dexterity,

•  nimbleness,

•  sleight,

•  spryness,

•  sure-footedness,

•  adeptness,

•  adroitness,

•  finesse,

•  prowess

•  Antonyms : 

•  awkwardness,

•  clumsiness,

•  gaucheness,

•  gawkiness,

•  gawkishness,

•  gracelessness,

•  ham-handedness,

•  heavy-handedness,

•  klutziness,

•  ungainliness,

•  disability,

•  inability,

•  incapability,

•  incapacity,

•  debilitation,

•  disablement,

•  impairment,

•  incapacitation,

•  unhandiness

1: to set free from entanglement or difficulty;

  * e.g., " ... Realizing that he could not afford to pay her, she cut him loose by calling off the bet. "

•  Synonyms : 

•  clear,

•  disembarrass,

•  disengage,

•  disentangle,

•  extricate,

•  free,

•  liberate,

•  release,

•  untangle

•  Antonyms : 

•  embroil,

•  entangle

1: to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety;

  * e.g., " ... We just hung loose while waiting for the server to take our orders. "

•  Synonyms : 

•  chill,

•  chill out,

•  decompress,

•  de-stress,

•  loosen up,

•  mellow (out),

•  relax,

•  unwind,

•  wind down

•  Antonyms : 

•  tense (up)

1: to set free (as from slavery or confinement);

  * e.g., " ... Once the eagle was fully recovered, the animal sanctuary turned it loose. "

•  Synonyms : 

•  discharge,

•  disenthrall,

•  emancipate,

•  enfranchise,

•  enlarge,

•  free,

•  liberate,

•  loose,

•  loosen,

•  manumit,

•  release,

•  spring,

•  unbind,

•  uncage,

•  unchain,

•  unfetter

•  Antonyms : 

•  bind,

•  confine,

•  enchain,

•  fetter,

•  restrain

1: to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety;

  * e.g., " ... We just hung loose while waiting for the server to take our orders. "

•  Synonyms : 

•  chilled,

•  chilled out,

•  decompressed,

•  de-stressed,

•  loosened up,

•  mellowed (out),

•  relaxed,

•  unwound,

•  wound down

•  Antonyms : 

•  tensed (up)

1: to set free (as from slavery or confinement);

  * e.g., " ... Once the eagle was fully recovered, the animal sanctuary turned it loose. "

•  Synonyms : 

•  discharged,

•  disenthralled,

•  emancipated,

•  enfranchised,

•  enlarged,

•  freed,

•  liberated,

•  loosed,

•  loosened,

•  manumitted,

•  released,

•  sprang,

•  unbound,

•  uncaged,

•  unchained,

•  unfettered

•  Antonyms : 

•  bound,

•  confined,

•  enchained,

•  fettered,

•  restrained

1: to set free from entanglement or difficulty;

  * e.g., " ... Realizing that he could not afford to pay her, she cut him loose by calling off the bet. "

•  Synonyms : 

•  clears,

•  disembarrasses,

•  disengages,

•  disentangles,

•  extricates,

•  frees,

•  liberates,

•  releases,

•  untangles

•  Antonyms : 

•  embroils,

•  entangles