loose

1 not tightly fastened, tied, or stretched secure your neckerchief with a loose knot Synonyms insecure, lax, loosened, relaxed, slack, slackened, unsecured Related Words detached, free, unattached, unbound, undone, unfastened, untied; baggy, blousy, saggy Near Antonyms constrained, restrained; attached, bound, fastened, tied; fast, firm, jammed, snug, stuck, wedged Antonyms taut, tense, tight

2 consisting of particles that do not stick together the car wheels slipped on the loose gravel in the driveway Synonyms incoherent, unconsolidated Related Words nonadhesive, nonviscous; disconnected, disjointed, separate, unconnected; coarse, granular, rough Near Antonyms connected, solid; compacted, compressed; adhesive, gelatinous, gluey, glutinous, gooey, gummy, sticky, viscid, viscous Antonyms coherent, compact, dense, packed

3 not bound by rigid standards the generally loose discipline practiced by many weekend dads Synonyms flexible, lax, easygoing, relaxed, slack, unrestrained, unrestrictedRelated Words careless, derelict, heedless, irresponsible, lazy, neglectful, negligent, remiss, slipshod, sloppy, sloven, slovenly, unfussyNear Antonyms constrained, restrained, restricted, tight; careful, conscientious, exact, fussy, meticulous, painstaking, punctilious, scrupulous; implacable, inflexibleAntonyms hard, harsh, rigid, rigorous, severe, stern, strict

4 not bound, confined, or detained by force there was a brief panic when the lion got loose from its cage at the zoo Synonyms footloose, free, unbound, unconfined, unrestrainedRelated Words escaped; uncaged, unchained, unfettered, unleashed; uncaught; unanchored, unbolted, undone, unfastened, untied; clear, disengagedNear Antonyms caught; caged, chained, enclosed (also inclosed), immured, imprisoned, leashed, penned; anchored, bolted, fastened, fettered, manacled, shackled, tied; kidnapped (also kidnaped)Antonyms bound, confined, restrained, unfree

5 not precisely correct a loose guess about the size of the crowd at the outdoor concert Synonyms approximate, approximative, ballpark, imprecise, inaccurate, inexact, squishyRelated Words erroneous, false, incorrect, off, wrong; general, indefinable, indefinite, indeterminate, indistinct, mushy, undefined, undetermined, unsettled, vague; faulty, flawed, mistaken; specious; distorted, fallacious, misleading; doubtful, dubious, questionable, uncertain; inconclusive, indecisive; debatable, disputable; invalidated, unconfirmed, unsubstantiated, unsupportedNear Antonyms certain, incontestable, indubitable, positive, sure, undeniable, unquestionable; correct, errorless, factual, right, sound, true, valid; clear-cut, decisive, definable, defined, definite; incontrovertible, indisputable, irrefutable; absolute, unqualified; confirmed, corroborated, determined, established, substantiated, supported, validatedAntonyms accurate, dead, dead-on, exact, precise, ultraprecise, veracious

6 having or showing lowered moral character or standards the loose life that he led in the years before his death by a drug overdose Synonyms debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized, depraved, dissipated, dissolute, jackleg, libertine, corrupt, perverse, perverted, rakehell (or rakehelly), rakish, reprobate, sick, unclean, unwholesome, warpedRelated Words bent [chiefly British], crooked, cutthroat, dishonest, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous; contaminated, spoiled, tainted; bad, evil, immoral, iniquitous, miscreant, nefarious, sinful, vicious, wickedNear Antonyms incorruptible; ethical, honest, principled; good, moral, righteous, virtuousAntonyms pure, uncorrupt, uncorrupted

1 to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force the archers loosed a great volley of arrows at the foot soldiers charging towards them Synonyms blast, discharge, fire, shoot, squeeze offRelated Words launch, project; blaze (at), snipe (at); cast, catapult, fling, heave, hurl, hurtle, lob, pelt, pitch, sling, throw, toss

2 to find emotional release for do not loose your pent-up frustrations on the next person who happens by Synonyms take out, release, unleash, ventRelated Words act out; air, express, state, ventilate, voiceNear Antonyms control, govern, handle, manage; bridle, check, constrain, contain, curb, hold back, pull in, quell, rein (in), restrain, smother, tame; allay, lull, quiet, soothe, still; choke, inhibit, muffle, pocket, repress, stifle, strangle, swallowAntonyms bottle (up), repress, suppress

3 to set free (as from slavery or confinement) animal-rights activists loosed the monkeys from their laboratory cages Synonyms discharge, disenthrall (also disenthral), emancipate, enfranchise, enlarge, liberate, free, loosen, manumit, release, spring, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetterRelated Words bail (out), deliver, parole, ransom, redeem, rescue, save; adrift, disembarrass, disencumber, disengage, disentangle, extricate; unshackleNear Antonyms handcuff, manacle, shackle, trammel; commit, immure, imprison, incarcerate, intern, jail, lock (up); conquer, enslave, subdue, subjugateAntonyms bind, confine, enchain, fetter, restrain

4 to set free (from a state of being held in check) the storm loosed its full fury when it hit the coastline at high tide Synonyms release, loosen, uncork, unleash, unlock, unloose, unloosenRelated Words discharge, emancipate, enfranchise, free, liberate, manumit, spring, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter, unmoor, unshackle; air, express, take out, ventNear Antonyms handcuff, manacle, shackle, trammel; bind, confine, enchain, fetter; halter, hamperAntonyms bridle, check, constrain, contain, control, curb, govern, hold, inhibit, regulate, rein (in), restrain, smother, tame