loose

I. loose1 S3 W3 /luːs/ BrE AmE adjective
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old Norse; Origin: lauss]
1. NOT FIRMLY ATTACHED not firmly fastened in place:
a loose floorboard
This tooth feels very loose.
The screw has come loose (=became loose).
► Do not confuse the adjective loose /luːs/ with the verb lose /luːz/ (=stop having something, become unable to find something etc): They thought they might lose their jobs.
2. NOT ATTACHED not attached to anything else:
loose papers
His rear wheel spun on the loose stones.
The potatoes are sold loose (=not packed in a container).
The driver had forgotten to fasten the safety chain and the trailer came loose (=became unattached).
3. NOT TIED TIGHTLY not tied or fastened very tightly:
a loose knot
4. HAIR if your hair is loose, it hangs freely rather than being tied back:
Her hair fell loose around her shoulders.
5. CLOTHES loose clothes are big and do not fit your body tightly SYN loose-fitting, baggy OPP tight:
a loose sweatshirt
6. FREE free from being controlled or held in a cage, prison, or institution
break/get loose (=escape)
A 34-year-old inmate broke loose from the sheriff’s office yesterday.
turn/let/set something loose (=let something go free)
Don’t let your dog loose on the beach.
7. NOT EXACT [usually before noun] not exact or thoroughly done:
a loose translation
a loose interpretation of the law
8. NOT VERY CONTROLLED not strictly controlled or organized
loose federation/alliance/group etc
a loose federation of political groups
loose arrangement (=an arrangement that can easily be changed)
9. NOT SOLID not pressed tightly together in a solid mass
loose soil/earth
10. SPORT not under the control of either team in a game of football, ↑rugby etc:
Sheringham was the first player to reach the loose ball.
11. cut loose
a) to free yourself from someone or something, or their influence
cut yourself loose (from something)
He cut himself loose from the constraints of family life.
b) American English informal to start enjoying yourself in a happy noisy way after a period of controlled behaviour:
I’m ready to cut loose and enjoy the weekend.
12. let (something ↔) loose to speak or behave in an uncontrolled way:
She let loose a string of four-letter words.
13. let somebody loose on something to allow someone to deal with something in the way they want to, when you think they will make mistakes or do something wrong:
Whatever you do, don’t let Derek loose on the garden.
14. be at a loose end (also be at loose ends American English) to have nothing to do:
I was at a loose end so I decided to go see an old movie.
15. loose ends parts of something that have not been completed or correctly done:
We’ve nearly finished, but there are still a few loose ends to be tied up (=dealt with or completed).
16. loose change coins that you have in your bag or pocket
17. loose cannon someone who cannot be trusted because they say or do things you do not want them to
18. hang/stay loose American English spoken used to tell someone to stay calm, or not to worry about something
19. BODY WASTE having a problem in which the waste from your ↑bowels has too much liquid in it:
loose bowels
20. IMMORAL old-fashioned behaving in a way that is considered to be sexually immoral:
a loose woman
loose morals
21. TALK old-fashioned not careful about what you say or who is listening:
There’s been a bit of loose talk about it.
—loosely adverb:
A towel was loosely wrapped around his neck.
The film is loosely based on the novel.
—looseness noun [uncountable]

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

loose

loose [loose looses loosed loosing] adjective, verb, noun [luːs] [luːs]

adjective (loos·er, loos·est)

NOT FIXED/TIED
1. not firmly fixed where it should be; able to become separated from sth
• a loose button/tooth

• Check that the plug has not come loose.

2. not tied together; not held in position by anything or contained in anything
• She usually wears her hair loose.

• The potatoes were sold loose, not in bags.

3. not usually before noun free to move around without control; not tied up or shut in somewhere
• The sheep had got out and were loose on the road.
• The horse had broken loose (= escaped) from its tether.

• During the night, somebody had cut the boat loose from its moorings.

CLOTHES

4. not fitting closely
• a loose shirt

Opp: tight

NOT SOLID/HARD

5. not tightly packed together; not solid or hard
• loose soil

• a fabric with a loose weave

NOT STRICT/EXACT

6. not strictly organized or controlled
• a loose alliance/coalition/federation

• a loose association of artists, writers and composers

7. not exact; not very careful
• a loose translation

• loose thinking

IMMORAL

8. usually before noun (old-fashioned) having or involving an attitude to sexual relationships that people consider to be immoral

• a young man of loose morals

BALL

9. (sport) not in any player's control

• He pounced on a loose ball.

BODY WASTE

10. having too much liquid in it
• a baby with loose bowel movements
more at play fast and loose at fast adv., all hell broke loose at hell, have a screw loose at screw n.
Word Origin:
Middle English loos ‘free from bonds’, from Old Norse lauss, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German los.
Example Bank:
• He felt he had to cut loose from his family.
• Her hair hung loose about her shoulders.
• I let my hair fall loose down my back.
• I'm going to let the dogs loose.
• One of the bricks feels slightly loose.
• Shall I wear my hair loose?
• The animals had broken loose from their pens.
• The committees work within fairly loose guidelines.
• The top of the tap has come loose.
• During the night, somebody had cut the boat loose from its moorings.
• The horse had broken loose from its tether.
• This book is an antidote for much of the loose thinking in the world of today.
• This is only a loose translation as I am not fluent in Japanese.
Idioms: cut loose from somebody ▪ hang loose ▪ have a loose tongue ▪ let loose ▪ let loose something ▪ let somebody loose ▪ on the loose

Derived Word: looseness

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

loose

/lu:s/
(looser, loosest, looses, loosing, loosed)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.
Something that is loose is not firmly held or fixed in place.
If a tooth feels very loose, your dentist may recommend that it’s taken out...
Two wooden beams had come loose from the ceiling...
She idly pulled at a loose thread on her skirt.
ADJ
• loose‧ly
Tim clasped his hands together and held them loosely in front of his belly.
ADV: ADV with v

2.
Something that is loose is not attached to anything, or held or contained in anything.
Frank emptied a handful of loose change on the table...
A page came loose and floated onto the tiles.
ADJ: usu ADJ n

3.
If people or animals break loose or are set loose, they are no longer held, tied, or kept somewhere and can move around freely.
She broke loose from his embrace and crossed to the window...
Why didn’t you tell me she’d been set loose?...
= free
ADJ: ADJ after v, ADJ n, v-link ADJ

4.
Clothes that are loose are rather large and do not fit closely.
Wear loose clothes as they’re more comfortable.
= baggy
≠ tight
ADJ
• loose‧ly
His shirt hung loosely over his thin shoulders.
ADV: ADV after v, ADV -ed

5.
If your hair is loose, it hangs freely round your shoulders and is not tied back.
She was still in her nightdress, with her hair hanging loose over her shoulders.
ADJ

6.
If something is loose in texture, there is space between the different particles or threads it consists of.
She gathered loose soil and let it filter slowly through her fingers.
ADJ

7.
A loose grouping, arrangement, or organization is flexible rather than strictly controlled or organized.
Murray and Alison came to some sort of loose arrangement before he went home...
He wants a loose coalition of leftwing forces.
ADJ: usu ADJ n
• loose‧ly
The investigation had aimed at a loosely organised group of criminals.
ADV: ADV with v

8.
If a person or an animal is on the loose, they are free because they have escaped from a person or place.
Up to a thousand prisoners may be on the loose inside the jail...
PHRASE: v-link PHR

9.
a loose cannon: see cannon
all hell breaks loose: see hell

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

¹loose /ˈluːs/ adj loos·er; -est
1 : not tightly fastened, attached, or held
• a loose tooth
• a loose thread
• Some of the shingles on the roof were loose.
• The rope was tied in a loose knot.
• The nails had been pried loose.
• Some of the shingles had come/worked loose.
• The boat came loose from its moorings and floated out into the harbor.
• The ball popped loose from the shortstop's glove.
2 a : not pulled or stretched tight
• a loose belt
• loose reins on a horse
• loose skin
b of clothing : not fitting close to your body : not tight
• She was wearing a loose dress/skirt.
• a loose [=baggy] sweater
3 : not physically held or contained
• The dog was wandering loose in the streets.
• The lion had somehow gotten/broken loose [=free] from its cage.
- see also let loose 1 (below)
4 a : not held together in a solid or tight mass
• loose dirt
• loose rocks
• loose sandy soil
b : not held together in a bundle, container, etc.
• loose sheets of pages
• Loose hairs stuck out from under his cap.
• She let her hair hang down loose.
• You can buy a bag of potatoes or some loose potatoes.
5 : not stiff or tense : flexible or relaxed
• He walked with a loose stride.
• loose muscles
• I never relaxed that day; I just couldn't get loose.
• Runners should warm up for a few minutes to get loose.
• I tried to stay loose during the game, but I was too nervous.
- see also hang loose (below)
6 : not closely joined or united
• Ten advocacy groups from all parts of the country formed a loose alliance/association/coalition to present their shared interests to Congress.
7 a : not exact or precise
• a very loose translation
• a loose interpretation of the law
• This book is only a novel in the loose sense of the word. [=the word “novel” does not usually refer to a book like this; many people would not consider the book a novel]
b : not careful in speech : talking too freely
• Loose [=careless] talk spread the rumor.
• She has a loose tongue. [=she talks too much about things that are private, secret, etc.]
8 sports : not controlled or held by any of the players in a game
• a loose ball/puck
9 old-fashioned : not respectable sexually : not decent or moral
• He was accused of loose conduct/behavior.
• a loose woman
• loose morals
10 of solid waste from the body : containing a larger than normal amount of fluid
• loose stools also; : producing loose stools
• loose bowels
• loose bowel movements
all hell breaks loose
- see hell
break loose
- see ¹break
cut loose
1 cut (someone) loose : to stop supporting or employing (someone)
• He worked here for a few years but he didn't do a good job, so we finally had to cut him loose. : to end an official relationship or agreement with (someone)
• She's been cut loose from her contract. [=the company/organization with whom she had a contract to work has ended the contract]
2 chiefly US informal : to act in a free and relaxed way after behaving in a way that is controlled
• I enjoy cutting loose with friends on weekends.
hang loose chiefly US informal : to remain calm and relaxed
• Just hang loose for a minute. I'll be right back.
have a screw loose, have a loose screw
- see ¹screw
let loose
1 let (someone or something) loose or set/turn (someone or something) loose : to allow (someone or something) to move or go freely
• He let/set the dogs loose in the courtyard.
• cattle let loose to graze on the green fields
- often used figuratively
• It's the end of the school year, when schools turn students loose on our towns.
• a director who's willing to let her actors loose to interpret their roles however they see fit
• how to stop the violence that has been let loose [=loosed] on the city
2 : to produce (something, such as a cry) in a sudden and forceful way
• The crowd let loose [=let out] an enormous groan when the pass was intercepted.
• She let loose (with) a scream.
play fast and loose