1. Not tight; not closely constrained, constricted or constricting
   "loose clothing"; "the large shoes were very loose"
    
2. Not tense or taut
   "the old man's skin hung loose and grey";
   - slack
    
3. Not affixed
   "the stamp came loose";
   - unaffixed
    
4. Not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
   "loose gravel"
    
5. (of textures) full of small openings or gaps
   "a loose weave";
   - open
    
6. Not carefully arranged in a package
   "a box of loose nails"
    
7. Having broken free from confinement, capture, control, etc.
   "dogs loose on the streets"; "criminals on the loose in the neighbourhood";
   - at large, escaped, on the loose
    
8. Lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility
   "a loose tongue";
   - idle
    
9. Casual and unrestrained in sexual behaviour
   "her loose virtue";
   - easy, promiscuous, sluttish [informal], wanton, tarty [informal], slutty [informal]
    
10. (of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player
    "a loose ball"
     
11. Not officially recognized or controlled
    "a loose organization of the local farmers";
    - informal
     
12. Not literal
    "a loose interpretation of what she had been told";
    - free, liberal
     
13. Emptying easily or excessively
    "loose bowels";
    - lax

1. Turn loose or free from restraint
   "let loose mines"; "Loose terrible plagues upon humanity";
   - unleash, let loose
    
2. Grant freedom to; free from confinement
   "The activists worked to loose the political prisoners";
   - free, liberate, release, unloose, unloosen
    
3. Become loose, looser or less tight
   "The rope began to loose in the wind";
   - loosen, relax
    
4. Make less tight or stiff
   "She loosed her grip on the railing";
   - loosen

1. Without restraint
   "cows in India are running loose";
   - free

Derived forms: looses, loosest, loosing, looser, loosed

See also: baggy, coarse, flyaway, free, harsh, inexact, irresponsible, lax, light, loose-fitting, regular, saggy, shifting, silty, sloppy, unchaste, unconsolidated, unconstipated, uncontrolled, unfirm, unofficial, unpackaged

Type of: alter, change, let go, let go of, modify, release, relinquish, weaken

Antonym: affixed, compact, stiffen, tight

Encyclopedia: Loose, Loud & Crazy