re·laxed

[ri-lakst]
adjective
1.
being free of or relieved from tension or anxiety: in a relaxed mood.
2.
not strict; easy; informal: the relaxed rules of the club.

Origin:
1630–40; relax + -ed2

re·lax·ed·ly [ri-lak-sid-lee, -lakst-lee] , adverb
re·lax·ed·ness, noun
un·re·laxed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged

re·lax

[ri-laks]
verb (used with object)
1.
to make less tense, rigid, or firm; make lax: to relax the muscles.
2.
to diminish the force of.
3.
to slacken or abate, as effort, attention, etc.
4.
to make less strict or severe, as rules, discipline, etc.: to relax the requirements for a license.
5.
to release or bring relief from the effects of tension, anxiety, etc.: A short swim always relaxes me.
verb (used without object)
6.
to become less tense, rigid, or firm.
7.
to become less strict or severe; grow milder.
8.
to reduce or stop work, effort, application, etc., especially for the sake of rest or recreation.
9.
to release oneself from inhibition, worry, tension, etc.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English relaxen < Latin relaxāre to stretch out again, loosen, equivalent to re- re- + laxāre to loosen, derivative of laxus slack, lax

re·lax·a·tive, re·lax·a·tory [ri-lak-suh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] , adjective
re·lax·er, noun
o·ver·re·lax, verb
un·re·lax·ing, adjective


1, 6. loosen, slacken. 2. mitigate, weaken, lessen, reduce. 4. ease. 6. unbend. 7. relent, soften.


1, 6. tighten, tense.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To relaxed
00:10
Relaxed is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
Collins
World English Dictionary
relax (rɪˈlæks) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  to make (muscles, a grip, etc) less tense or rigid or (of muscles, a grip, etc) to become looser or less rigid
2.  (intr) to take rest or recreation, as from work or effort: on Sundays, she just relaxes; she relaxes by playing golf
3.  to lessen the force of (effort, concentration, etc) or (of effort) to become diminished
4.  to make (rules or discipline) less rigid or strict or (of rules, etc) to diminish in severity
5.  (intr) (of a person) to become less formal; unbend
 
[C15: from Latin relaxāre to loosen, from re- + laxāre to loosen, from laxus loose, lax]
 
re'laxable
 
adj
 
re'laxed
 
adj
 
relaxedly
 
adv

relax (rɪˈlæks) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  to make (muscles, a grip, etc) less tense or rigid or (of muscles, a grip, etc) to become looser or less rigid
2.  (intr) to take rest or recreation, as from work or effort: on Sundays, she just relaxes; she relaxes by playing golf
3.  to lessen the force of (effort, concentration, etc) or (of effort) to become diminished
4.  to make (rules or discipline) less rigid or strict or (of rules, etc) to diminish in severity
5.  (intr) (of a person) to become less formal; unbend
 
[C15: from Latin relaxāre to loosen, from re- + laxāre to loosen, from laxus loose, lax]
 
re'laxable
 
adj
 
re'laxed
 
adj
 
relaxedly
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

relax
c.1420, "to make (something) less compact or dense," from O.Fr. relaxer (14c.), from L. relaxare "relax, loosen, open," from re- "back" + laxare "loosen," from laxus "loose" (see lax). Of persons, attested from 1837, "to become less formal;" meaning "to become less tense" is
recorded from 1935. Relaxation "relief from work" first recorded 1548.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

relax re·lax (rĭ-lāks')
v. re·laxed, re·lax·ing, re·lax·es

  1. To make or become lax or loose.

  2. To relieve or become relieved from tension or strain.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Limits on foreign stakes in fund management and stockbroking will be relaxed.
Mao seemed relaxed, talking to his guests and laughing often.
Somehow the community-college environment, with its intense focus on teaching,
  seems a little more relaxed.
But, of course, such a relaxed and decorative concept of poetry could not long
  survive the turn of the last century.
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