verb
relax
rih-LAKS
verb
1
To rest and become free of tension, stress, or worry.
"She likes to relax with a book after work."
"Just relax — everything is under control."
2
To become or make something less tight, tense, or severe.
"His muscles relaxed once the pain medication took effect."
"The government relaxed border restrictions for the holidays."
How to Use Relax
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo ease up — whether that's your body, your mind, or a rule that gets less strict.
Common pairings
relax the rules
relax your muscles
time to relax
Word Forms
relaxed past tense, relaxes singular
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She likes to _____ with a book after work.
Etymology
From Old French relaxer, from Latin relaxare, "to loosen or open," from re- plus laxare, "to loosen" (related to lax).