loose

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

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

3 not bound by rigid standards the generally loose discipline practiced by many weekend dads Synonyms of loose flexible, lax, easygoing, relaxed, slack, unrestrained, unrestrictedWords Related to loose careless, derelict, heedless, irresponsible, lazy, neglectful, negligent, remiss, slipshod, sloppy, sloven, slovenly, unfussyNear Antonyms of loose constrained, restrained, restricted, tight; careful, conscientious, exact, fussy, meticulous, painstaking, punctilious, scrupulous; implacable, inflexibleAntonyms of loose 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 of loose footloose, free, unbound, unconfined, unrestrainedWords Related to loose escaped; uncaged, unchained, unfettered, unleashed; uncaught; unanchored, unbolted, undone, unfastened, untied; clear, disengagedNear Antonyms of loose caught; caged, chained, enclosed (also inclosed), immured, imprisoned, leashed, penned; anchored, bolted, fastened, fettered, manacled, shackled, tied; kidnapped (also kidnaped)Antonyms of loose bound, confined, restrained, unfree

5 not precisely correct a loose guess about the size of the crowd at the outdoor concert Synonyms of loose approximate, approximative, ballpark, imprecise, inaccurate, inexact, squishyWords Related to loose 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 of loose 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 of loose 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 of loose debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized, depraved, dissipated, dissolute, jackleg, libertine, corrupt, perverse, perverted, rakehell (or rakehelly), rakish, reprobate, sick, unclean, unwholesome, warpedWords Related to loose bent [chiefly British], crooked, cutthroat, dishonest, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous; contaminated, spoiled, tainted; bad, evil, immoral, iniquitous, miscreant, nefarious, sinful, vicious, wickedNear Antonyms of loose incorruptible; ethical, honest, principled; good, moral, righteous, virtuousAntonyms of loose 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 of loose blast, discharge, fire, shoot, squeeze offWords Related to loose 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 of loose take out, release, unleash, ventWords Related to loose act out; air, express, state, ventilate, voiceNear Antonyms of loose 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 of loose bottle (up), repress, suppress

3 to set free (as from slavery or confinement) animal-rights activists loosed the monkeys from their laboratory cages Synonyms of loose discharge, disenthrall (also disenthral), emancipate, enfranchise, enlarge, liberate, free, loosen, manumit, release, spring, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetterWords Related to loose bail (out), deliver, parole, ransom, redeem, rescue, save; adrift, disembarrass, disencumber, disengage, disentangle, extricate; unshackleNear Antonyms of loose handcuff, manacle, shackle, trammel; commit, immure, imprison, incarcerate, intern, jail, lock (up); conquer, enslave, subdue, subjugateAntonyms of loose 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 of loose release, loosen, uncork, unleash, unlock, unloose, unloosenWords Related to loose discharge, emancipate, enfranchise, free, liberate, manumit, spring, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter, unmoor, unshackle; air, express, take out, ventNear Antonyms of loose handcuff, manacle, shackle, trammel; bind, confine, enchain, fetter; halter, hamperAntonyms of loose bridle, check, constrain, contain, control, curb, govern, hold, inhibit, regulate, rein (in), restrain, smother, tame