loose.
To let loose, to free from restraints.
Meaning & usage
To let loose, to free from restraints.
To unfasten, to loosen.
To make less tight, to loosen.
Of a grip or hold, to let go.
To shoot (an arrow).
To set sail.
To solve; to interpret.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Old Norse laussbor. Middle English loos English loose From Middle English loos, los, lous, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, whence also -less, leasing; from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- (“to untie, set free, separate”), whence also lyo-, -lysis, via Ancient Greek.
Not fixed in place tightly or firmly.
This wheelbarrow has a loose wheel.
Not held or packaged together.
You can buy apples in a pack, but they are cheaper loose.
Not under control.
The dog is loose again.
Not fitting closely.
I wear loose clothes when it is hot.
Not compact.
It is difficult walking on loose gravel.
a cloth of loose texture
Relaxed.
She danced with a loose flowing movement.
Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate.
a loose way of reasoning
Indiscreet.
Loose talk costs lives.
Free from moral restraint; immoral, unchaste.
Not being in the possession of any competing team during a game.
He caught an elbow going after a loose ball.
The puck was momentarily loose right in front of the net.
Not costive; having lax bowels, diarrheic.
Measured loosely stacked or disorganized (such as of firewood).
Having oversteer.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Old Norse laussbor. Middle English loos English loose From Middle English loos, los, lous, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, whence also -less, leasing; from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- (“to untie, set free, separate”), whence also lyo-, -lysis, via Ancient Greek.
The release of an arrow.
A state of laxity or indulgence; unrestrained freedom, abandonment.
All play other than set pieces (scrums and line-outs).
Freedom from restraint.
A letting go; discharge.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Old Norse laussbor. Middle English loos English loose From Middle English loos, los, lous, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, whence also -less, leasing; from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- (“to untie, set free, separate”), whence also lyo-, -lysis, via Ancient Greek.
begin shooting; release your arrows
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Old Norse laussbor. Middle English loos English loose From Middle English loos, los, lous, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, whence also -less, leasing; from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- (“to untie, set free, separate”), whence also lyo-, -lysis, via Ancient Greek.
Obsolete form of lose.
Misspelling of lose.
I'm going to loose this game.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.