INDEX:
1. loose clothes
2. ways of saying that clothes become looser
3. to make clothes looser
4. a loose rope/knot/chain
5. to make a rope/knot/chain looser
6. something that is not fixed firmly enough
7. to make something loose that has been firmly or tightly fixed
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ TIGHT
see also
↑ FASTEN/UNFASTEN
↑ CLOTHES
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1. loose clothes
▷ loose /luːs/ [adjective]
loose clothes do not fit your body tightly :
▪ She wore a long, loose linen jacket.
▪ In hot weather, loose cotton clothes are more comfortable.
▪ The top fitted me, but the shorts were a little loose round the waist.
▷ baggy /ˈbægi/ [adjective]
baggy clothes are designed to be big and loose and hide the real shape of your body :
▪ Bill was wearing a polo shirt and baggy blue pants.
▪ I like T-shirts as long as they’re really baggy.
▷ loose-fitting /ˌluːs ˈfɪtɪŋ◂/ [adjective]
loose, especially in order to be comfortable :
▪ I wore loose-fitting clothes to protect me from the heat of the sun.
▪ A kung fu suit should be loose-fitting, with buttons and a high collar.
▷ shapeless /ˈʃeɪpləs/ [adjective]
large and loose, and having no shape or style :
▪ He looked dirty and was wearing an ugly, shapeless suit.
▪ Helen’s hat was limp and shapeless from the rain.
2. ways of saying that clothes become looser
▷ stretch /stretʃ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
if clothes stretch or if you stretch them, they become looser and do not fit you properly any more :
▪ I think this sweater must have stretched when I washed it.
▪ ‘Can I borrow your boots?’ ‘No, you’ll stretch them.’
▷ give /gɪv/ [intransitive verb]
if tight clothes or shoes give, they become looser after you have been wearing them :
▪ Don’t worry if swimsuits are tight -- they always give a little.
▪ These shoes should start to give after you’ve worn them for a few weeks.
3. to make clothes looser
▷ loosen /ˈluːs ə n/ [transitive verb]
to make a piece of clothing looser, especially by unfastening it :
▪ Bill loosened his tie and lit a cigarette.
▪ Loosen any tight clothing, and lay the patient on his side.
▪ Eric leaned back in his chair and loosened his belt.
▷ let out /ˌlet ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make a piece of clothing looser by undoing the stitches and sewing it up again, so that it is a little bigger :
let out something/let something out
▪ You’ll either have to let that skirt out or lose some weight.
4. a loose rope/knot/chain
▷ loose /luːs/ [adjective]
a rope, knot, chain etc that is loose is not tied or stretched tightly, and is not a tight as it should be :
▪ The guitar strings were loose, but none were broken.
▪ There must be a wire loose, because this light isn’t working.
loosely [adverb]
▪ Charlie was holding the horse’s reins loosely in one hand.
▷ slack /slæk/ [adjective]
a rope or chain that is slack is not stretched as tightly as it should be :
▪ If the rope between climbers is slack, one slip can be fatal.
go slack
become less tight suddenly
▪ I let the rope go slack as the boat came closer.
5. to make a rope/knot/chain looser
▷ loosen /ˈluːs ə n/ [transitive verb]
to make something loose that has been pulled tight or fastened tightly :
▪ He grasped one of the mules and began to loosen the hitch that held its load.
▷ slacken /ˈslækən/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to reduce the pressure on something such as a rope, so that it is no longer pulled as tightly as before - used especially in written contexts :
▪ The boat surged forwards as he slackened the rope.
▪ Don’t allow the reins to slacken, keep them taut.
slacken off something/slacken something off
▪ Slacken off the line, and pull the fishing rod towards you.
6. something that is not fixed firmly enough
▷ loose /luːs/ [adjective]
something that is loose is not firmly fixed in the place where it should be :
▪ Some of the floorboards are loose and they creak when you walk on them.
▪ a loose tooth
come loose
gradually become looser
▪ One of the hinges on the box was coming loose.
work loose
become loose gradually after a long time, or after a lot of use
▪ Three bolts worked loose and caused the train to derail.
a loose connection
when electrical wires are not firmly connected
▪ The garage claimed it was just a loose connection.
▷ wobbly /ˈwɒbliǁˈwɑː-/ [adjective]
something that is wobbly shakes or moves from side to side because it is not fixed as firmly as it should be :
▪ Don’t sit on that chair -- it’s got a wobbly leg.
▪ The front wheels on the car seem wobbly.
7. to make something loose that has been firmly or tightly fixed
▷ loosen /ˈluːs ə n/ [transitive verb]
to make something loose in order to remove it, for example a screw or lid that has been tightly fixed :
▪ Could you loosen this lid for me?
▪ He took a screwdriver from his pocket and began loosening the screws that secured the steel bars to the window frame.