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