adjective | verb | noun | adverb
looseloose1 /lus/ ●●● S2 W3 adjective 1
NOT FIRMLY ATTACHED not firmly attached or fastened in place: a loose screw One of Sean’s front teeth is loose. One of my buttons came loose.2NOT ATTACHED not tied together, fastened to anything else, etc.: loose papers The boat broke loose from the dock.3NOT TIED TIGHTLY not tied or fastened very tightly: My shoelaces are loose. a loose knot4CLOTHES loose clothes are big and do not fit your body tightly: a loose sweatshirt5FREE free from being controlled or held in a cage, prison, or institution: A 34-year-old inmate broke loose from the sheriff’s office Saturday. In 1882 pigs were turned loose on the streets of New York City to eat garbage. Don’t let your dog loose on the beach.6NOT EXACT [usually before noun] not exact or thoroughly done: The title is a loose translation of the Korean original. a loose interpretation of the law7NOT STRICT [only before noun] not strictly controlled or organized: a loose group of local organizations8loose ends parts of something that have not been completed or correctly done: His new movie will tie up some of the loose ends from the last one.9loose change coins that you have in your bag or pocket10cut loose informal to start enjoying yourself in a happy noisy way after a period of controlled behavior: I’m ready to cut loose and enjoy the weekend.11let loose (something) to relax and speak or behave in an uncontrolled way: She let loose a string of four-letter words that shocked everyone.12be at loose ends to have nothing to do13turn somebody loose on something to allow someone to deal with something in the way that he or she wants to: He had a lot of ability, so his boss decided to turn him loose on the project.14turn somebody loose on somebody to get someone to argue, fight, criticize, etc. someone else for you: Shapiro turned his assistant loose on his critics.15hang/stay loose spoken used to tell someone to stay calm, or not to worry about something16CLOTH woven in a way that is not tight so that there are small holes between the threads: linen cloth with a loose weave17IMMORAL old-fashioned behaving in a way that is considered to be sexually immoral: a loose woman18TALK old-fashioned not careful about what you say or who is listening19loose cannon someone who cannot be trusted because he or she says or does things that you do not want to be said or done20loose bowels/stools not technical having a problem in which the waste from your bowels has too much liquid in it21loose lips sink ships old-fashioned used to say that if you tell other people’s secrets you will cause problems for them[Origin: 1100–1200 Old Norse lauss]—loosely adverb: A towel was loosely wrapped around his neck. The film is loosely based on the novel.—looseness noun [uncountable] adjective | verb | noun | adverb
looseloose2 verb [transitive] 1to untie someone or something, especially an animal SYN release: Police fired tear gas and loosed police dogs.2to make something bad or negative begin to happen SYN unleash: The recent court case has loosed a number of racist attacks.3to let a substance escape or flow out of something SYN release4literary to shoot an arrow or a bullet from a gun, etc.loose something on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb literary to allow something dangerous or harmful to begin to affect a situation or other people: A deadly disease had been loosed upon the public. adjective | verb | noun | adverb
looseloose3 noun be on the loose if a criminal or dangerous animal is on the loose, they have escaped from prison or from their cage adjective | verb | noun | adverb
looseloose4 adverb nonstandard loosely → see also play fast and loose with somebody/something at play1 (32)