Dictionary

relax

Etymology

From Middle English relaxen, from Old French relaxer, from Latin relaxāre, from re- + laxāre, from laxus.

Pronunciation

Verb

relax (relaxes, present participle relaxing; simple past and past participle relaxed)

(transitive) To calm down.
(transitive) To make something loose.
to relax a rope or cord
to relax the muscles or sinews
- 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗:
  Horror […] all his joynts relax'd.
(intransitive) To become loose.
- 2016, [https://web.archive.org/web/20170930001420/https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-5-where-are-you/3168971.html VOA Learning English] (public domain)
  I relax in the living room.
(transitive) To make something less severe or tense.
to relax discipline
to relax one's attention or endeavours
(intransitive) To become less severe or tense.
(transitive) To make something (such as codes and regulations) more lenient.
- 1713, Jonathan Swift, A Preface to Bishop Burnet's Introduction:
  The statute of mortmain […] was at several times relaxed by the legislature.
(intransitive, of codes and regulations) To become more lenient.
(transitive) To relieve (something) from stress.
Amusement relaxes the mind.
(transitive, dated) To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open.
An aperient relaxes the bowels.