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Loose vs. Tense — What's the Difference?

Loose vs. Tense — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Loose and Tense

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Loose

Not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached
The lorry's trailer came loose
A loose tooth

Tense

Tightly stretched; taut.

Loose

(of a garment) not fitting tightly or closely
She slipped into a loose T-shirt

Tense

In a state of nervous tension or mental strain
Was very tense before the exam.

Loose

Not close, compact, or solid in structure or formation
Loose soil
The fabric's loose weave
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Tense

Causing or characterized by nervous tension or mental strain
A tense standoff between border patrols.

Loose

Not strict or exact
A loose interpretation

Tense

(Linguistics) Enunciated with taut muscles, as the sound (ē) in keen.

Loose

Engaging in casual sexual encounters or relationships
She ran the risk of being called a loose woman

Tense

To make or become tense.

Loose

Loose play
He was in powerful form in the loose

Tense

A property of verbs in which the time of the action or state, as well as its continuance or completion, is indicated or expressed.

Loose

Set free; release
The hounds have been loosed

Tense

A category or set of verb forms that indicate or express the time, such as past, present, or future, of the action or state.

Loose

Fire (a bullet, arrow, etc.)
He loosed off a shot at the vehicle

Tense

Any of the forms of a verb which distinguish when an action or state of being occurs or exists.
The basic tenses in English are present, past, and future.

Loose

Not fastened, restrained, or contained
Loose bricks.

Tense

An inflected form of a verb that indicates tense.
English only has a present tense and a past tense; it has no future tense.

Loose

Not taut, fixed, or rigid
A loose anchor line.
A loose chair leg.

Tense

The property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists.
Dyirbal verbs are not inflected for tense.

Loose

Free from confinement or imprisonment; unfettered
Criminals loose in the neighborhood.
Dogs that are loose on the streets.

Tense

To apply a tense to.
Tensing a verb

Loose

Not tight-fitting or tightly fitted
Loose shoes.

Tense

(transitive) To make tense.

Loose

Not bound, bundled, stapled, or gathered together
Loose papers.

Tense

(intransitive) To become tense.

Loose

Not compact or dense in arrangement or structure
Loose gravel.

Tense

Showing signs of stress or strain; not relaxed.
You need to relax, all this overtime and stress is making you tense.

Loose

Lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; idle
Loose talk.

Tense

Pulled taut, without any slack.

Loose

Not formal; relaxed
A loose atmosphere at the club.

Tense

One of the forms which a verb takes by inflection or by adding auxiliary words, so as to indicate the time of the action or event signified; the modification which verbs undergo for the indication of time.

Loose

Lacking conventional moral restraint in sexual behavior.

Tense

Stretched tightly; strained to stiffness; rigid; not lax; as, a tense fiber.
The temples were sunk, her forehead was tense, and a fatal paleness was upon her.

Loose

Not literal or exact
A loose translation.

Tense

A grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time

Loose

Characterized by a free movement of fluids in the body
A loose cough.
Loose bowels.

Tense

Stretch or force to the limit;
Strain the rope

Loose

In a loose manner.

Tense

Increase the tension on;
Tense a rope

Loose

To let loose; release
Loosed the dogs.

Tense

Become tense or tenser;
He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room

Loose

To make loose; undo
Loosed his belt.

Tense

Make tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious;

Loose

To cast loose; detach
Hikers loosing their packs at camp.

Tense

In or of a state of physical or nervous tension

Loose

To let fly; discharge
Loosed an arrow.

Tense

Pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat')

Loose

To release pressure or obligation from; absolve
Loosed her from the responsibility.

Tense

Taut or rigid; stretched tight;
Tense piano strings

Loose

To make less strict; relax
A leader's strong authority that was loosed by easy times.

Loose

(transitive) To let loose, to free from restraints.

Loose

(transitive) To unfasten, to loosen.

Loose

(transitive) To make less tight, to loosen.

Loose

(intransitive) Of a grip or hold, to let go.

Loose

(archery) To shoot (an arrow).

Loose

(obsolete) To set sail.

Loose

(obsolete) To solve; to interpret.

Loose

Not fixed in place tightly or firmly.
This wheelbarrow has a loose wheel.

Loose

Not held or packaged together.

Loose

Not under control.
The dog is loose again.

Loose

Not fitting closely

Loose

Not compact.
A cloth of loose texture

Loose

Relaxed.
She danced with a loose flowing movement.

Loose

Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate.
A loose way of reasoning

Loose

Indiscreet.
Loose talk costs lives.

Loose

(somewhat dated) Free from moral restraint; immoral, unchaste.

Loose

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.

Loose

(dated) Not costive; having lax bowels.

Loose

(of volumes of materials) Measured loosely stacked or disorganized (such as of firewood).

Loose

Having oversteer.

Loose

(archery) The release of an arrow.

Loose

(obsolete) A state of laxity or indulgence; unrestrained freedom, abandonment.

Loose

(rugby) All play other than set pieces (scrums and line-outs).

Loose

Freedom from restraint.

Loose

A letting go; discharge.

Loose

(archery) begin shooting; release your arrows

Loose

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.

Loose

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 ?

Loose

Not tight or close; as, a loose garment.

Loose

Not dense, close, compact, or crowded; as, a cloth of loose texture.
With horse and chariots ranked in loose array.

Loose

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.

Loose

Not strict in matters of morality; not rigid according to some standard of right.
The loose morality which he had learned.

Loose

Unconnected; rambling.
Vario spends whole mornings in running over loose and unconnected pages.

Loose

Lax; not costive; having lax bowels.

Loose

Dissolute; unchaste; as, a loose man or woman.
Loose ladies in delight.

Loose

Containing or consisting of obscene or unchaste language; as, a loose epistle.

Loose

Freedom from restraint.

Loose

A letting go; discharge.
Vent all its griefs, and give a loose to sorrow.

Loose

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.

Loose

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.

Loose

To relax; to loosen; to make less strict.
The joints of his loins were loosed.

Loose

To solve; to interpret.

Loose

To set sail.

Loose

Grant freedom to; free from confinement

Loose

Turn loose or free from restraint;
Let loose mines
Loose terrible plagues upon humanity

Loose

Make loose or looser;
Loosen the tension on a rope

Loose

Become loose or looser or less tight;
The noose loosened
The rope relaxed

Loose

Not restrained or confined or attached;
A pocket full of loose bills
Knocked the ball loose
Got loose from his attacker

Loose

Not compact or dense in structure or arrangement;
Loose gravel

Loose

(of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player;
A loose ball

Loose

Not tight; not closely constrained or constricted or constricting;
Loose clothing
The large shoes were very loose

Loose

Not officially recognized or controlled;
An informal agreement
A loose organization of the local farmers

Loose

Not literal;
A loose interpretation of what she had been told
A free translation of the poem

Loose

Emptying easily or excessively;
Loose bowels

Loose

Not affixed;
The stamp came loose

Loose

Not tense or taut;
The old man's skin hung loose and gray
Slack and wrinkled skin
Slack sails
A slack rope

Loose

(of textures) full of small openings or gaps;
An open texture
A loose weave

Loose

Not fixed firmly or tightly;
The bolts became loose over time
A loose chair leg
Loose bricks

Loose

Lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility;
Idle talk
A loose tongue

Loose

Not carefully arranged in a package;
A box of loose nails

Loose

Freely producing mucus;
A loose phlegmy cough

Loose

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

Loose

Casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior;
Her easy virtue
He was told to avoid loose (or light) women
Wanton behavior

Loose

Not bound or fastened or gathered together;
Loose pages
Loose papers

Loose

Without restraint;
Cows in India are running loose

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