Loose Definition and Meaning
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 6, 2024
Loose means not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached. e.g., He tied the rope, but it was still loose.
Table of Contents
Loose Definitions
Free from confinement or restraint.
The horses were set loose in the field.
Not fitting closely or tightly.
He preferred wearing loose clothing for comfort.
Lacking a sense of restraint or morality, often in behavior.
The novel depicted a character with a loose lifestyle.
Not tightly controlled or supervised.
The dog was on a loose leash.
Relaxed or lacking in rigor or strictness.
They enjoyed a day with a loose schedule.
Not exact or precise; vague.
He had a loose understanding of the rules.
Not bound or contained in a package or covering.
She bought some loose tea leaves.
Capable of being adjusted or modified.
The chair had a loose back that could recline.
Free from tension or anxiety; at ease.
After the exams, she felt loose and happy.
Not closely packed or dense in arrangement or structure.
She wore her hair loose and flowing.
Not fastened, restrained, or contained
Loose bricks.
Not taut, fixed, or rigid
A loose anchor line.
A loose chair leg.
Free from confinement or imprisonment; unfettered
Criminals loose in the neighborhood.
Dogs that are loose on the streets.
Not tight-fitting or tightly fitted
Loose shoes.
Not bound, bundled, stapled, or gathered together
Loose papers.
Not compact or dense in arrangement or structure
Loose gravel.
Lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; idle
Loose talk.
Not formal; relaxed
A loose atmosphere at the club.
Not literal or exact
A loose translation.
Characterized by a free movement of fluids in the body
A loose cough.
Loose bowels.
In a loose manner.
To let loose; release
Loosed the dogs.
To make loose; undo
Loosed his belt.
To cast loose; detach
Hikers loosing their packs at camp.
To let fly; discharge
Loosed an arrow.
To release pressure or obligation from; absolve
Loosed her from the responsibility.
To make less strict; relax
A leader's strong authority that was loosed by easy times.
(transitive) To let loose, to free from restraints.
(transitive) To unfasten, to loosen.
(transitive) To make less tight, to loosen.
(intransitive) Of a grip or hold, to let go.
(archery) To shoot (an arrow).
(obsolete) To set sail.
(obsolete) To solve; to interpret.
Not fixed in place tightly or firmly.
This wheelbarrow has a loose wheel.
Not held or packaged together.
Not under control.
The dog is loose again.
Not fitting closely
Not compact.
A cloth of loose texture
Relaxed.
She danced with a loose flowing movement.
Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate.
A loose way of reasoning
Indiscreet.
Loose talk costs lives.
(somewhat dated) Free from moral restraint; immoral, unchaste.
Not being in the possession of any competing team during a game.
He caught an elbow going after a loose ball.
The puck was momentarily loose right in front of the net.
(dated) Not costive; having lax bowels.
(of volumes of materials) Measured loosely stacked or disorganized (such as of firewood).
Having oversteer.
(archery) The release of an arrow.
(obsolete) A state of laxity or indulgence; unrestrained freedom, abandonment.
(rugby) All play other than set pieces (scrums and line-outs).
Freedom from restraint.
A letting go; discharge.
(archery) begin shooting; release your arrows
Unbound; untied; unsewed; not attached, fastened, fixed, or confined; as, the loose sheets of a book.
Her hair, nor loose, nor tied in formal plat.
Free from constraint or obligation; not bound by duty, habit, etc.; - with from or of.
Now I standLoose of my vow; but who knows Cato's thoughts ?
Not tight or close; as, a loose garment.
Not dense, close, compact, or crowded; as, a cloth of loose texture.
With horse and chariots ranked in loose array.
Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate; as, a loose style, or way of reasoning.
The comparison employed . . . must be considered rather as a loose analogy than as an exact scientific explanation.
Not strict in matters of morality; not rigid according to some standard of right.
The loose morality which he had learned.
Unconnected; rambling.
Vario spends whole mornings in running over loose and unconnected pages.
Lax; not costive; having lax bowels.
Dissolute; unchaste; as, a loose man or woman.
Loose ladies in delight.
Containing or consisting of obscene or unchaste language; as, a loose epistle.
Freedom from restraint.
A letting go; discharge.
Vent all its griefs, and give a loose to sorrow.
To untie or unbind; to free from any fastening; to remove the shackles or fastenings of; to set free; to relieve.
Canst thou . . . loose the bands of Orion ?
Ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her; loose them, and bring them unto me.
To release from anything obligatory or burdensome; to disengage; hence, to absolve; to remit.
Art thou loosed from a wife ? seek not a wife.
Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
To relax; to loosen; to make less strict.
The joints of his loins were loosed.
To solve; to interpret.
To set sail.
Grant freedom to; free from confinement
Turn loose or free from restraint;
Let loose mines
Loose terrible plagues upon humanity
Make loose or looser;
Loosen the tension on a rope
Become loose or looser or less tight;
The noose loosened
The rope relaxed
Not restrained or confined or attached;
A pocket full of loose bills
Knocked the ball loose
Got loose from his attacker
Not compact or dense in structure or arrangement;
Loose gravel
(of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player;
A loose ball
Not tight; not closely constrained or constricted or constricting;
Loose clothing
The large shoes were very loose
Not officially recognized or controlled;
An informal agreement
A loose organization of the local farmers
Not literal;
A loose interpretation of what she had been told
A free translation of the poem
Emptying easily or excessively;
Loose bowels
Not affixed;
The stamp came loose
Not tense or taut;
The old man's skin hung loose and gray
Slack and wrinkled skin
Slack sails
A slack rope
(of textures) full of small openings or gaps;
An open texture
A loose weave
Not fixed firmly or tightly;
The bolts became loose over time
A loose chair leg
Loose bricks
Lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility;
Idle talk
A loose tongue
Not carefully arranged in a package;
A box of loose nails
Freely producing mucus;
A loose phlegmy cough
Having escaped, especially from confinement;
A convict still at large
Searching for two escaped prisoners
Dogs loose on the streets
Criminals on the loose in the neighborhood
Not bound or fastened or gathered together;
Loose pages
Loose papers
Without restraint;
Cows in India are running loose
Loose Snonyms
Free
Not under the control or in the power of another; able to act or be done as one wishes.
He broke free from the guard.
Detach
To unfasten and separate; disengage.
Detach the form and send it in.
Release
To allow or enable to escape from confinement; to set free.
Release the bird into the wild.
Unfasten
To undo or open a fastening.
Unfasten your seatbelt after the plane lands.
Slack
Not taut or held tightly in position; loose.
A slack rope.
Disengage
To separate or release (someone or something) from something to which they are attached or connected.
Disengage the clutch before starting the engine.
Unbind
To free from bindings or restraints.
Unbind the prisoner's hands.
Untie
To undo or loosen by untying.
Untie the ropes holding the boat.
Lax
Not sufficiently strict, severe, or careful.
Lax security arrangements at the airport.
Unleash
To release from a leash or restraint.
Unleash the dogs.
Loose Idioms & Phrases
Let loose
To release; to set free.
She let loose a sigh of relief.
Hang loose
To relax or take it easy.
Just hang loose; the problem will sort itself out.
At loose ends
Feeling restless or unsettled because one has nothing to do.
After retirement, he found himself at loose ends.
Loose change
Small denominations of coins.
He emptied his pockets of loose change.
Break loose
To escape from restraint or control.
The crowd tried to break loose from the barriers.
Loose lips sink ships
A warning that careless talk is dangerous, especially in revealing secrets.
Remember, loose lips sink ships; don't share sensitive information.
Loose ends
Unfinished or unresolved details or matters.
The project has a few loose ends that need addressing.
Cut loose
To behave in an unrestrained or uninhibited manner.
They decided to cut loose at the party after a stressful week.
Loose cannon
Someone unpredictable and uncontrollable.
His erratic behavior made him a loose cannon in the office.
Turn loose
To release or let go.
They turned the bird loose back into the wild.
With a loose hand
Governing or controlling with a degree of freedom or leniency.
She managed the team with a loose hand, encouraging creativity.
Let loose with something
To suddenly express or unleash something, often vocally.
She let loose with a string of complaints.
Loose-jointed
Having a relaxed or fluid manner, often physically.
The dancer's loose-jointed style was mesmerizing.
Loose talk costs lives
A reminder that careless talk can have serious consequences.
In times of crisis, remember that loose talk costs lives.
Footloose and fancy-free
Free from commitments or responsibilities, especially in romantic relationships.
After his last relationship, he enjoyed being footloose and fancy-free.
On the loose
Free, escaped, or at large.
After the jailbreak, the criminals were on the loose.
Loose talk
Careless or thoughtless speech.
Loose talk about the company's future caused unnecessary panic.
Play fast and loose
To act recklessly or unethically.
He played fast and loose with the company's finances.
Set loose
To release or free from restraint.
The farmer set the horses loose in the meadow.
Loose as a goose
Very relaxed or lacking in restraint.
After a few drinks, he was as loose as a goose.
Loose Example Sentences
The story was based on a loose adaptation of historical events.
His loose interpretation of the instructions caused confusion.
She found the atmosphere at the new job to be pleasantly loose.
The screws in the shelf are loose and need tightening.
With a loose wave, she said goodbye to her friends.
The loose coalition of groups faced challenges in decision-making.
After the storm, several animals were loose in the neighborhood.
The artist preferred working with loose, expressive brushstrokes.
They enjoyed walking through the market, buying loose fruits and vegetables.
She packed the vase with some loose paper to protect it.
He kept a loose grip on the reins while riding.
The documentary explored the consequences of loose regulations.
His loose approach to time management often led to delays.
The fence was loose, and it swayed in the wind.
After the meeting, everyone felt more loose and open to discussion.
Common Curiosities
How is loose used in a sentence?
"Loose" can be used to describe the state of being not tightly fixed or controlled, e.g., Make sure the lid isn't loose.
Why is it called loose?
It is called "loose" because it describes something that is not tightly fixed, confined, or strict, coming from Old Norse "lauss" meaning free or untied.
What is a stressed syllable in loose?
The entire word "loose" is stressed, as it is only one syllable.
How many syllables are in loose?
There is one syllable in "loose."
What is the root word of loose?
The root word of "loose" is from the Old Norse "lauss," meaning free or untied.
What is the singular form of loose?
The singular form is "loose."
What is the verb form of loose?
The verb form is "loose," as in to release or set free.
How do we divide loose into syllables?
"Loose" does not divide into syllables as it is a single syllable word.
What is the first form of loose?
The first form is "loose," as in the base form of the verb.
What is the third form of loose?
The third form is also "loosed," used as the past participle.
Is loose an adverb?
"Loose" is not typically used as an adverb. The adverb form would be "loosely."
What is the pronunciation of loose?
"Loose" is pronounced as /luːs/.
Is loose a countable noun?
"Loose" is not a noun and therefore not countable. When used as an adjective, it does not have a plural form.
Is loose a collective noun?
"Loose" is not a collective noun.
Is loose an abstract noun?
"Loose" is not an abstract noun; it is an adjective or a verb.
Is the word loose imperative?
"Loose" can be used in the imperative mood as a verb, e.g., "Loose the sails!"
Which determiner is used with loose?
Determiners like "some," "any," "the," and "this" can be used with "loose" when it describes a noun, e.g., "some loose change."
What part of speech is loose?
"Loose" can be an adjective, verb, or adverb, depending on its use in a sentence.
What is the plural form of loose?
The plural form is "loose" when used as an adjective. As a verb, it doesn't change form but applies to singular or plural subjects.
Is loose a negative or positive word?
"Loose" is neutral; its positive or negative connotation depends on the context.
Is loose a vowel or consonant?
The word "loose" starts with a consonant.
Is the word “loose” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Loose" can be related to a direct object when used as a verb, e.g., "He decided to loose the dogs."
Which conjunction is used with loose?
Conjunctions such as "and" and "but" can be used with "loose," e.g., "loose and comfortable," "loose but secure."
Which article is used with loose?
Both the definite article "the" and the indefinite articles "a" and "an" can be used with "loose," depending on the context, e.g., "the loose pages," "a loose interpretation."
What is the second form of loose?
The second form is "loosed," indicating the past tense.
Is the loose term a metaphor?
"Loose" can be used metaphorically, such as in "loose lips sink ships," meaning careless talk can have serious consequences.
Which vowel is used before loose?
The vowel "o" is used in "loose," as seen in the double "o."
What is another term for loose?
Another term for "loose" could be "slack" or "unfixed," depending on the context.
What is the opposite of loose?
The opposite of "loose" could be "tight" or "secure."
Is loose a noun or adjective?
"Loose" is primarily an adjective, but it can also function as a verb.
Is the word loose Gerund?
The gerund form of "loose" is "loosing," but it is rarely used.
Which preposition is used with loose?
Prepositions such as "from," "in," and "on" can be used with "loose," depending on the context, e.g., "loose from constraints," "loose in the jar," "loose on the ground."
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
