relax

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Archived revision by 107.191.232.36 (talk) as of 05:08, 9 September 2022.
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English

Etymology

From Middle English relaxen, from Old French relaxer, from Latin relaxāre (“relax, loosen, open”), from re- (“back”) + laxāre (“loosen”), from laxus (“loose, free”).

A man relaxing and reading a book.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɹɪˈlæks/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -æks

Verb

relax (third-person singular simple present relaxes, present participle relaxing, simple past and past participle relaxed)

  1. (transitive) To calm down.
  2. (transitive) To make something loose.
    to relax a rope or cord
    to relax the muscles or sinews
  3. (intransitive) To become loose.
  4. (transitive) To make something less severe or tense.
    to relax discipline
    to relax one's attention or endeavours
  5. (intransitive) To become less severe or tense.
  6. (transitive) To make something (such as codes and regulations) more lenient.
    • Template:RQ:Swift A Preface to Bishop Burnet's Introduction
      The statute of mortmain […] was at several times relaxed by the legislature.
    • 1953, “Section 2. Jurisdiction”, in Edward Samuel Corwin, editor, The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation‎[1], page 589:
      The Court rejected the contention that the doctrine of sovereign immunity should be relaxed as inapplicable to suits for specific relief as distinguished from damage suits, saying: "The Government, as representative of the community as a whole, cannot be stopped in its tracks by any plaintiff who presents a disputed question of property or contract right."
  7. (intransitive, of codes and regulations) To become more lenient.
  8. (transitive) To relieve (something) from stress.
    Amusement relaxes the mind.
  9. (transitive, dated) To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open.
    An aperient relaxes the bowels.

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Anagrams

Italian

Pronunciation

Noun

relax m (invariable)

  1. relaxation (mental or physical)

References

  1. ^ relax in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

Spanish

Etymology

Pseudo-anglicism, shortening of English relaxation or erroneous borrowing of English relax.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /reˈlaɡs/ [reˈlaɣ̞s]

Noun

relax m (uncountable)

  1. relaxation

Derived terms

Further reading

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