Wiktionary

relax

English edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English relaxen, from Old French relaxer, from Latin relaxāre (“relax, loosen, open”), from re- (“back”) + laxāre (“loosen”), from laxus (“loose, free”).

 
A man relaxing and reading a book.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ɹɪˈlæks/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -æks

Verb edit

relax (third-person singular simple present relaxes, present participle relaxing, simple past and past participle relaxed)

  1. (transitive) To calm down.
  2. (transitive) To make something loose.
    to relax a rope or cord
    to relax the muscles or sinews
  3. (intransitive) To become loose.
  4. (transitive) To make something less severe or tense.
    to relax discipline
    to relax one's attention or endeavours
  5. (intransitive) To become less severe or tense.
  6. (transitive) To make something (such as codes and regulations) more lenient.
    • 1713, Jonathan Swift, A Preface to Bishop Burnet's Introduction:
      The statute of mortmain […] was at several times relaxed by the legislature.
    • 1953, “Section 2. Jurisdiction”, in Edward Samuel Corwin, editor, The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation‎[1], page 589:
      The Court rejected the contention that the doctrine of sovereign immunity should be relaxed as inapplicable to suits for specific relief as distinguished from damage suits, saying: "The Government, as representative of the community as a whole, cannot be stopped in its tracks by any plaintiff who presents a disputed question of property or contract right."
  7. (intransitive, of codes and regulations) To become more lenient.
  8. (transitive) To relieve (something) from stress.
    Amusement relaxes the mind.
  9. (transitive, dated) To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open.
    An aperient relaxes the bowels.

Antonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Translations edit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Anagrams edit

French edit

Alternative forms edit

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

relax (feminine relaxe, masculine plural relax, feminine plural relaxes)

  1. relaxed
    Synonyms: calme, décontracté, détendu, serein, zen

Further reading edit

Italian edit

Etymology edit

Pseudo-anglicism, a clipping of relaxation.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

relax m (invariable)

  1. relaxation (mental or physical)

References edit

  1. ^ relax in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

Spanish edit

Etymology edit

Pseudo-anglicism, shortening of English relaxation or erroneous borrowing of English relax.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /reˈlaɡs/ [reˈlaɣ̞s]
  • Rhymes: -aɡs
  • Syllabification: re‧lax

Noun edit

relax m (uncountable)

  1. relaxation

Derived terms edit

Further reading edit

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=relax&oldid=75878796"