Loosen Up (Verb)
Meaning 1
Cause to feel relaxed; "A hot bath always relaxes me".
Classification
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.
Examples
- A warm cup of tea helps to loosen up her tense muscles before bedtime.
- The sound of waves crashing on the shore seems to loosen up everyone's stressed faces.
- A short walk outside during lunch often helps to loosen up office workers who've been sitting all morning.
- The soothing music playing in the waiting room is meant to loosen up anxious patients.
- After a long drive, he likes to loosen up with some stretching exercises to relieve the fatigue.
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Meaning 2
Cause to become unblocked; "The medicine unstuffed my nose in minutes!".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The plumber used a plunger to loosen up the clogged drain.
- Massaging her shoulders helped to loosen up the tense muscles.
- After applying some lubricant, the mechanic was able to loosen up the rusty parts.
- Drinking some warm water helped loosen up the congestion in my throat.
- The detergent effectively loosened up the stubborn grease stain on my shirt.
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Meaning 3
Become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner; "our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- She began to loosen up and enjoy herself once she realized everyone at the party was friendly and approachable.
- As the night wore on and he had a few more drinks, he started to loosen up and tell some funny stories.
- It took her a few weeks to loosen up around her new coworkers, but eventually she felt like she was part of the team.
- When the initial job interview was over and the interviewer started asking more casual questions, the candidate started to loosen up and be herself.
- After a few meetings with her therapist, Sarah started to loosen up and open up about her problems and feelings.
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Meaning 4
Make one's body limber or suppler by stretching, as if to prepare for strenuous physical activity.
Classification
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.
Examples
- Before her morning run, Sarah took a few minutes to loosen up with some stretching exercises.
- Trainers often advise football players to loosen up before a game to prevent muscle strain injuries.
- To loosen up after a long car ride, she got out to stretch her arms and legs.
- Runners should always take the time to loosen up before hitting the road to minimize the risk of cramps.
- Dancers begin class by loosening up their bodies through a series of slow, controlled movements.
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Meaning 5
Become less tense, rest, or take one's ease; "He relaxed in the hot tub"; "Let's all relax after a hard day's work".
Classification
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.
Examples
- Take your time and let's loosen up over a cup of coffee after that chaotic meeting.
- The doctor told me I need to exercise regularly and loosen up these tight muscles.
- The party started off a bit stiffly but as the night went on everyone began to loosen up and have fun.
- You've been working non-stop for weeks, now let's have some wine and loosen up on our vacation.
- At first, the public speaking course was terrifying but after a while I started to loosen up in front of the audience.