'Relax' definitions:

Definition of 'relax'

(from WordNet)
verb
Become less tense, rest, or take one's ease; "He relaxed in the hot tub"; "Let's all relax after a hard day's work" [syn: relax, loosen up, unbend, unwind, decompress, slow down] [ant: tense, tense up]
verb
Make less taut; "relax the tension on the rope" [syn: relax, unbend]
verb
Become loose or looser or less tight; "The noose loosened"; "the rope relaxed" [syn: loosen, relax, loose] [ant: stiffen]
verb
Cause to feel relaxed; "A hot bath always relaxes me" [syn: relax, unstrain, unlax, loosen up, unwind, make relaxed] [ant: strain, tense, tense up]
verb
Become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner; "our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group" [syn: relax, loosen up]
verb
Make less severe or strict; "The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught" [syn: relax, loosen]
verb
Become less severe or strict; "The rules relaxed after the new director arrived" [syn: relax, loosen]
verb
Make less active or fast; "He slackened his pace as he got tired"; "Don't relax your efforts now" [syn: slack, slacken, slack up, relax]

Definition of 'Relax'

From: GCIDE
  • Relax \Re*lax"\, v. i.
  • 1. To become lax, weak, or loose; as, to let one's grasp relax. [1913 Webster]
  • His knees relax with toil. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To abate in severity; to become less rigorous. [1913 Webster]
  • In others she relaxed again, And governed with a looser rein. --Prior. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To remit attention or effort; to become less diligent; to unbend; as, to relax in study. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Relax'

From: GCIDE
  • Relax \Re*lax"\ (r?-l?ks"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Relaxed (-l?kst"); p. pr. & vb. n. Relaxing.] [L. relaxare; pref. re- re- + laxare to loose, to slacken, from laxus loose. See Lax, and cf. Relay, n., Release.]
  • 1. To make lax or loose; to make less close, firm, rigid, tense, or the like; to slacken; to loosen; to open; as, to relax a rope or cord; to relax the muscles or sinews. [1913 Webster]
  • Horror . . . all his joints relaxed. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • Nor served it to relax their serried files. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To make less severe or rigorous; to abate the stringency of; to remit in respect to strenuousness, earnestness, or effort; as, to relax discipline; to relax one's attention or endeavors. [1913 Webster]
  • The statute of mortmain was at several times relaxed by the legislature. --Swift. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. Hence, to relieve from attention or effort; to ease; to recreate; to divert; as, amusement relaxes the mind. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open; as, an aperient relaxes the bowels. [1913 Webster]
  • Syn: To slacken; loosen; loose; remit; abate; mitigate; ease; unbend; divert. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Relax'

From: GCIDE
  • Relax \Re*lax"\, n. Relaxation. [Obs.] --Feltham. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Relax'

From: GCIDE
  • Relax \Re**lax"\, a. Relaxed; lax; hence, remiss; careless. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'relax'

From: Moby Thesaurus