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Definitions for: Relax
[v] cause to feel relaxed; "A hot bath always relaxes me"
[v] become less tense, rest, or take one's ease; "He relaxed in the hot tub"; "Let's all relax after a hard day's work"
[v] become loose or looser or less tight; "The noose loosened"; "the rope relaxed"
[v] make less tight; "relax the tension on the rope"
[v] make less active or fast; "He slackened his pace as he got tired"; "Don't relax your efforts now"
[v] become less severe or strict; "The rules relaxed after the new director arrived"
[v] make less severe or strict; "The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught"
[v] become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner; "our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group"
Webster (1913) Definition: Re*lax" (r?-l?ks"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Relaxed
(-l?kst"); p. pr. & vb. n. Relaxing.] [L. relaxare; pref.
re- re- + laxare to loose, to slacken, from laxus loose. See
Lax, and cf. Relay, n., Release.]
1. To make lax or loose; to make less close, firm, rigid,
tense, or the like; to slacken; to loosen; to open; as, to
relax a rope or cord; to relax the muscles or sinews.
Horror . . . all his joints relaxed. --Milton.
Nor served it to relax their serried files.
--Milton.
2. To make less severe or rigorous; to abate the stringency
of; to remit in respect to strenuousness, earnestness, or
effort; as, to relax discipline; to relax one's attention
or endeavors.
The statute of mortmain was at several times relaxed
by the legislature. --Swift.
3. Hence, to relieve from attention or effort; to ease; to
recreate; to divert; as, amusement relaxes the mind.
4. To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open; as, an
aperient relaxes the bowels.
Syn: To slacken; loosen; loose; remit; abate; mitigate; ease;
unbend; divert.
Re*lax", v. i.
1. To become lax, weak, or loose; as, to let one's grasp
relax.
His knees relax with toil. --Pope.
2. To abate in severity; to become less rigorous.
In others she relaxed again, And governed with a
looser rein. --Prior.
3. To remit attention or effort; to become less diligent; to
unbend; as, to relax in study.
Re*lax", n.
Relaxation. [Obs.] --Feltham.
Re**lax", a.
Relaxed; lax; hence, remiss; careless.
Synonyms: loose, loosen, loosen, loosen up, loosen up, make relaxed, slack, slack up, slacken, unbend, unlax, unstrain, unwind
Antonyms: stiffen, strain, tense, tense up
See Also: act, affect, alter, behave, change, change state, decompress, decrease, do, lessen, minify, relax, sit back, slow down, take it easy, turn, unbend, unbrace, vege out, vegetate, weaken
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