looser; loosest
1
a
: not rigidly fastened or securely attached
loose planks in a bridge
b(1)
: having worked partly free from attachments
a loose tooth
(2)
: having relative freedom of movement
c
: produced freely and accompanied by raising of mucus
a loose cough
d
: not tight-fitting
loose clothing
2
a
: free from a state of confinement, restraint, or obligation
a lion loose in the streets
spend loose funds wisely
b
: not brought together in a bundle, container, or binding
c
archaic
: disconnected, detached
3
a
: not dense, close, or compact in structure or arrangement
loose soil
b
: not solid : watery
loose stools
4
a
: lacking in restraint or power of restraint
a loose tongue
b
: lacking moral restraint : unchaste
c
: overactive
specifically
: marked by frequent voiding especially of watery stools
loose bowels
6
a
: lacking in precision, exactness, or care
loose brushwork
loose usage
b
: permitting freedom of interpretation
a loose construction of the Constitution
7
: not in the possession of either of two competing teams
a loose ball
a loose puck
looseness
noun
loosed; loosing
1
a
: to let loose (see loose entry 1) : release
loosed the dogs on the prowlers
b
: to free from restraint
2
: to make loose : untie
loose a knot
5
: to make less rigid, tight, or strict : relax
loosed his grip
: to let fly a missile (such as an arrow) : fire
: in a loose manner (see loose entry 1) : loosely
Synonyms
Examples of loose in a Sentence
Adjective
Some of the shingles on the roof were loose.
The rope was tied in a loose knot.
The nails had been pried loose.
Some of the shingles had come loose.
The boat came loose from its moorings and floated out into the harbor.
The ball popped loose from the shortstop's glove.
loose reins on a horse
She was wearing a loose dress.
The dog was wandering loose in the streets.
Verb
The soldiers loosed a volley of rifle fire.
the archers loosed a great volley of arrows at the foot soldiers charging towards them
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Recent Examples on the Web
Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2023
Her hair cascaded in loose glossy waves from the base of her ponytail.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 25 Sep. 2023
As opinions about guns became more politicized, advocating looser laws became a useful tool for politicians to motivate a conservative base.
—Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2023
Her hair was styled in loose waves that paired perfectly with her beachy balayage highlights.
—Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 22 Sep. 2023
In these instances, the cranial openings allegedly often grew infected and were immensely painful to the animals, and some implants became so loose they could be easily dislodged.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 21 Sep. 2023
Beckham missed the first few plays of the Ravens’ next possession but remained on the sideline with his helmet on and attempted to stay loose by running in place.
—C.j. Doon, Baltimore Sun, 17 Sep. 2023
Her hair was pulled back into a soft and wispy half-up 'do that looked put together without being fussy, along with some loose curls.
—Jessica Booth, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
In the looser and more experimental new season, Hugs Not Thugs has gone under, and the men squabble over who’s unhappier—with some competition from a now dissolute Minister Payne.
—The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2023
Adam Goodheart, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2023
The initial energies social media loosed in Tunisia, Egypt, and elsewhere were real and explosive—governments did shake, and regimes did fall.
—Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, 20 Sep. 2023
The death of Nobel laureate Toni Morrison in the summer of 2019 loosed a flood of words upon the world.
—Namwali Serpell, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2023
Islamic Jihad loosed a barrage of retaliatory rocket attacks; Israel responded with surprise strikes across Gaza early Tuesday that killed at least three of the group’s commanders.
—Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 12 May 2023
Over the last few days, DeSantis has loosed a barrage of attacks on Trump.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 5 June 2023
But perhaps none of the slings and arrows flung at Jackson has provoked as much outrage as the one the state House of Representatives loosed earlier this month.
—Michael Wines, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2023
The Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, has proven a formidable weapon for the U.S. military, quietly lurking in the sky and then zipping in to loose a missile on enemy targets.
—David H Freedman, Discover Magazine, 23 Sep. 2012
The results show that olfactory stimulation and processing may help maintain a healthy brain, and people who loose their sense of smell may experience emotional consequences.
—Ian Vorster, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2014
Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023
The ball pops loose, but Sam Olson recovers it in the end zone for a San Jose State touchdown.
—Nick Daschel | Ndaschel@oregonian.com, oregonlive, 3 Sep. 2023
Instead of the classic twist-on broom head, this option features a snap-locking mechanism that will never twist loose.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Aug. 2023
Cunningham is simply too athletic and too team-oriented for the Patriots to cut loose.
—Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Aug. 2023
In the vid, her deep, rich brunette hair is parted in the center and styled in done but not done loose, undulating waves flowing all the way down her shoulders almost to her hips.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 10 Aug. 2023
Bret got the collar loose, her husband opened up the crawl space, and the dog came running out.
—Kelsey Mulvey, House Beautiful, 7 Aug. 2023
Plus, widely available standard .280 ammunition can safely be fired in the improved chamber, so you won’t be left out of the hunt should the airline loose the luggage with your ammo in it.
—Joseph Von Benedikt, Field & Stream, 3 Aug. 2023
Two years later—with the Supreme Court shaking loose a lot of ground in the interim—that figure surged to 60%.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 23 June 2023
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Adjective
However, an onrushing Daniel Rios beat San Diego’s Charlie Adams to the loose ball, gathered the rebound and scored.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2023
Her hair cascaded in loose glossy waves from the base of her ponytail.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 25 Sep. 2023
As opinions about guns became more politicized, advocating looser laws became a useful tool for politicians to motivate a conservative base.
—Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2023
Her hair was styled in loose waves that paired perfectly with her beachy balayage highlights.
—Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 22 Sep. 2023
In these instances, the cranial openings allegedly often grew infected and were immensely painful to the animals, and some implants became so loose they could be easily dislodged.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 21 Sep. 2023
Beckham missed the first few plays of the Ravens’ next possession but remained on the sideline with his helmet on and attempted to stay loose by running in place.
—C.j. Doon, Baltimore Sun, 17 Sep. 2023
Her hair was pulled back into a soft and wispy half-up 'do that looked put together without being fussy, along with some loose curls.
—Jessica Booth, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
In the looser and more experimental new season, Hugs Not Thugs has gone under, and the men squabble over who’s unhappier—with some competition from a now dissolute Minister Payne.
—The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2023
Verb
The soldiers loosed a volley or two of musket fire at the mass of agitated native inhabitants and made a hasty retreat to their longboat.
—Adam Goodheart, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2023
The initial energies social media loosed in Tunisia, Egypt, and elsewhere were real and explosive—governments did shake, and regimes did fall.
—Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, 20 Sep. 2023
The death of Nobel laureate Toni Morrison in the summer of 2019 loosed a flood of words upon the world.
—Namwali Serpell, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2023
Islamic Jihad loosed a barrage of retaliatory rocket attacks; Israel responded with surprise strikes across Gaza early Tuesday that killed at least three of the group’s commanders.
—Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 12 May 2023
Over the last few days, DeSantis has loosed a barrage of attacks on Trump.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 5 June 2023
But perhaps none of the slings and arrows flung at Jackson has provoked as much outrage as the one the state House of Representatives loosed earlier this month.
—Michael Wines, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2023
The Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, has proven a formidable weapon for the U.S. military, quietly lurking in the sky and then zipping in to loose a missile on enemy targets.
—David H Freedman, Discover Magazine, 23 Sep. 2012
The results show that olfactory stimulation and processing may help maintain a healthy brain, and people who loose their sense of smell may experience emotional consequences.
—Ian Vorster, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2014
Adverb
In the process, the student, Aniya Harmon, felt her clothes come loose, exposing her right breast to onlooking students, the lawsuit alleges.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023
The ball pops loose, but Sam Olson recovers it in the end zone for a San Jose State touchdown.
—Nick Daschel | Ndaschel@oregonian.com, oregonlive, 3 Sep. 2023
Instead of the classic twist-on broom head, this option features a snap-locking mechanism that will never twist loose.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Aug. 2023
Cunningham is simply too athletic and too team-oriented for the Patriots to cut loose.
—Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Aug. 2023
In the vid, her deep, rich brunette hair is parted in the center and styled in done but not done loose, undulating waves flowing all the way down her shoulders almost to her hips.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 10 Aug. 2023
Bret got the collar loose, her husband opened up the crawl space, and the dog came running out.
—Kelsey Mulvey, House Beautiful, 7 Aug. 2023
Plus, widely available standard .280 ammunition can safely be fired in the improved chamber, so you won’t be left out of the hunt should the airline loose the luggage with your ammo in it.
—Joseph Von Benedikt, Field & Stream, 3 Aug. 2023
Two years later—with the Supreme Court shaking loose a lot of ground in the interim—that figure surged to 60%.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 23 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective, Verb, and Adverb
Middle English lous, from Old Norse lauss; akin to Old High German lōs loose — more at -less
First Known Use
Adjective
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Adverb
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of loose was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing loose
Dictionary Entries Near loose
Cite this Entry
“Loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loose. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
loose
1 of 2 adjective
looser; loosest
1
a
: not firmly fastened or securely attached
a loose tooth
b
: no longer attached
a boat loose from its moorings
c
: not tight-fitting
2
a
: not shut in, tied up, or held back
a lion loose in the streets
b
: not brought together in a bundle, container, or binding
loose sheets of pages
3
: not dense or compact
loose dirt
cloth of loose weave
4
: not respectable : immoral
loose conduct
5
: not tightly drawn or stretched : slack
6
: not exact or careful
a loose guess
loose
adverb
loosely
adverb
looseness
noun
Medical Definition
loose
adjective
looser; loosest
1
a
: not rigidly fastened or securely attached
b(1)
: having worked partly free from attachments
a loose tooth
(2)
: having relative freedom of movement
c
: produced freely and accompanied by raising of mucus
a loose cough
2
a
: not dense, close, or compact in structure or arrangement
loose connective tissue
b
: not solid : watery
loose stools
3
: overactive
specifically
: marked by frequent voiding especially of watery stools
loose bowels
4
: not tightly drawn or stretched
loose skin
loosely
adverb
looseness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on loose
Nglish: Translation of loose for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of loose for Arabic Speakers
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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