loose

adjective

\ ˈlüs

looser; loosest

Definition of loose

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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

2a : 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

3a : not dense, close, or compact in structure or arrangement loose soil

b : not solid : watery loose stools

4a : 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

5a : not tightly drawn or stretched : slack a loose belt

b : being flexible or relaxed stay loose

6a : 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

loose

verb

\ ˈlüs

loosed; loosing

Definition of loose (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : 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

3 : to cast loose : detach loosed the boat from its moorings— George Eliot

4 : to let fly : discharge loosed a hail of bullets

5 : to make less rigid, tight, or strict : relax loosed his grip

intransitive verb

: to let fly a missile (such as an arrow) : fire

loose

adverb

\ ˈlüs

Definition of loose (Entry 3 of 3)

: in a loose manner (see loose entry 1) : loosely

Other Words from loose Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about loose

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Synonyms & Antonyms for loose

Synonyms: Adjective

insecure, lax, loosened, relaxed, slack, slackened, unsecured

Synonyms: Verb

blast, discharge, fire, shoot, squeeze off

Antonyms: Adjective

taut, tense, tight

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Too loose and there's the danger of the nut or bolt spontaneously unscrewing down the road. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "How to Use a Torque Wrench to Keep Your Car from Flying Apart," 26 Feb. 2019 The tempo slows toward the middle of the nine-track, hourlong program, and the music becomes looser, textural and redolent of wide-open spaces. — Martin Johnson, WSJ, "‘Stomping Off From Greenwood’ by Greg Ward Review," 17 Jan. 2019 In the photo, the new mother looks casual and comfortable in an incredibly soft-looking, pale pink hoodie and dark maroon pants with her shoulder length hair worn down in loose, natural waves. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Kate Hudson Shares a Picture of Herself Breastfeeding on Instagram," 13 Jan. 2019 Long, loose, and extremely soft dresses from CP Shades always stand the test of time, too. — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Designers Behind Block Shop Share Their Guide to Jaipur," 12 Dec. 2018 The Duchess of Cambridge opted for more of a romantic look, however, in a flared tea-length dress and loose wavy hair. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle's West End Look Is Completely Different From Kate Middleton's," 29 Aug. 2018 Soak seeds overnight to encourage germination; sow them ¼ inch deep in a loose, fine medium, such as vermiculite. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "The Secret to Growing the Most Flavorful Eggplants," 27 July 2018 Her long blonde hair was let down in loose romantic curls. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Beyoncé Wore an Emerging Designer That You Can Buy on Etsy for a Date Night With Jay-Z," 15 Feb. 2019 But Mortal Kombat 11 is playing fast-and-loose with the timelines, and that includes resurrecting or at least restoring Kabal. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: The film Groundhog Day gets a VR sequel, Creative Assembly teases a new shooter," 8 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Pres Trump thinks loosing 3,000 lives is a success. — Alex Pappas, Fox News, "Trump calls Hurricane Florence 'bigger than anticipated,' tells residents to 'get out of its way'," 12 Sep. 2018 According to scientists, a poison arrow in the quiver may let loose a very sticky nether-region massacre. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Poison arrows inspire new male contraceptive, scientists report," 21 Jan. 2018 This column has long maintained that a high-level Russian criminal conspiracy is the one thing investigators won’t find when loosed on Mr. Trump’s colorful business and personal history. — Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, "Interpreting the Trump Meteor," 18 Dec. 2018 The authorities allegedly forced the believers to sign the forms or risk being expelled from school or loosing welfare benefits. — Lukas Mikelionis, Fox News, "Chinese officials burn bibles, close churches, force Christian to denounce faith amid 'escalating' crackdown," 10 Sep. 2018 For those who are upset about the sculpture loosing its prime location, no need to worry. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Tourist magnet ‘I Amsterdam’ sign has been removed," 6 Dec. 2018 Could loose individual parts come together to form a stable yet evolving whole? — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Robots built this wild plastic pavilion," 28 Sep. 2018 Araya loosed an inhuman scream that sounded like he’d been shocked by 10,000 volts, cast in shadow by the flames licking the sky on either side of him. — Bryan Rolli, Billboard, "Slayer Close Out First Leg of Farewell Tour with Blistering, Career-Spanning Austin Performance," 21 June 2018 To extract the spider, one poured water that loosed the web and the spider was extracted along with the web. — Shelby Grad, latimes.com, "Essential California: Trump's immigration flip," 21 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Because the ball came loose, the play was initially ruled incomplete. — Bob Condotta, The Seattle Times, "Seahawks Play of the Week: Lions game was won on the strength of one-on-one battles like this one," 30 Oct. 2018 Another is the fact that fasteners designed to hold Webb’s sunshield cover in place were incorrectly installed and came loose during late-stage testing. — Karen Kaplan, latimes.com, "If NASA can overcome human error and other problems, its James Webb Space Telescope may finally launch in 2021," 27 June 2018 During an acoustic test designed to simulate the noise and vibrations the spacecraft will experience during launch, multiple fasteners came loose, producing more than 60 bits of debris in and on the spacecraft. — William Harwood, CBS News, "Launch of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope delayed again as costs rise," 27 June 2018 When conditions allowed, Zabel could perform urgent repairs, such as fixing a screw that came loose in the thermal system. — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, "Antarctica Greenhouse Produces Cucumbers, Tomatoes and More in Mars-Like Test," 24 Sep. 2018 About 45 miles away, in Lumberton, N.C., all hell broke loose. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "I Drove a Pickup Full of Supplies to a Town Flooded by Florence, and Here Is What I Saw," 25 Sep. 2018 The Lilac Fire ripped through a popular Bonsall horse training facility, forcing trainers to release hundreds of thoroughbreds who ran loose through the facility as their barns burned to the ground. — Bryce Miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "NBC to shine huge Kentucky Derby spotlight on San Diego," 2 May 2018 Officers were working early Friday to corral other cattle that were running loose near the crash site. — Kaitlyn Schwers, kansascity, "'40 to 50' cattle dead after truck overturns in Harrisonville, snarling I-49 traffic | The Kansas City Star," 27 Apr. 2018 Hugo, let loose, ran toward the fallen bird and passed it. — Author: Christine Cunningham, Anchorage Daily News, "Two dogs, hunting by their own set of rules," 10 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'loose.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.