re ‧ lax S3 W3 AC /rɪˈlæks/ BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ relaxed , ↑ relaxing ; verb : ↑ relax ; noun : ↑ relaxation ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: relaxare 'to loosen' , from laxus 'loose' ]
1 . REST [intransitive and transitive] to rest or do something that is enjoyable, especially after you have been working:
I just want to sit down and relax.
What Robyn needed was a drink to relax her.
A hot bath should help to relax you.
2 . BECOME CALM [intransitive and transitive] to become quiet and calm after you have been upset or nervous, or to make someone do this:
Once out of danger, he started to relax.
Relax! Everything’s fine.
3 . MUSCLE [intransitive and transitive] if you relax a part of your body or it relaxes, it becomes less stiff or less tight:
Gentle exercise can relax stiff shoulder muscles.
4 . RULES/LAWS [transitive] to make a rule or law less strict
relax rules/regulations/controls
Hughes believes that immigration controls should not be relaxed.
5 . relax your hold/grip
a) to hold something less tightly than before
relax your hold/grip on
He relaxed his grip on my arm.
b) to become less strict in the way you control something
relax your hold/grip on
The party has no intention of relaxing its hold on the country.
6 . relax your concentration/vigilance etc to reduce the amount of attention you give to something
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ relax to rest or do something that is enjoyable after you have been working:
In the evenings, I like to relax with some music and a nice meal.
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In two weeks’ time I’ll be relaxing on a beach in Greece.
▪ rest to stop working or stop being active, and sit down or lie down so that you become less tired:
If you’re tired, we’ll stop and rest for a while.
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The doctor told me to take some time off work and try to rest.
▪ unwind to gradually relax after you have been working hard or feeling anxious:
It had been a bad day and he just wanted to get home and unwind.
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Set in spectacular countryside, the Shiga Hotel is the perfect place to unwind.
▪ take it/things easy to relax and not do very much, especially after working very hard or being ill:
Now that you’ve finished your exams, you can take it easy.
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The doctor said he’ll have to take things easy for while.
▪ put your feet up informal to rest for a short time after a tiring activity, especially by sitting with your feet resting on something:
Kate poured herself a drink and put her feet up.
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When you’re pregnant and doing a full-time job, you must find time to put your feet up.
▪ chill out/chill informal to relax completely, or stop worrying and getting annoyed about things - used mainly by young people:
We spent the day chilling out by the pool.
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Hey dude, chill out! It’s only a car!
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It’s a great place to chill out.
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Let’s go back to my place and chill.
▪ loosen up informal to become more relaxed and stop worrying about things:
I keep telling Mum that she needs to loosen up a bit.
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Tom had had a few drinks and was beginning to loosen up.
▪ put somebody at ease/make somebody feel at ease to make someone feel relaxed, especially in a situation in which they might feel a little nervous:
A good interviewer will try to make you feel at ease.
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His friendly manner always puts people at their ease.