relax

The word “relax” means to rest and become free of tension, stress, or worry. In plain terms, to ease up — whether that's your body, your mind, or a rule that gets less strict.

“Relax” is pronounced rih-LAKS (/ɹɪˈlæks/ in IPA).

Here is “relax” used in a sentence: “She likes to relax with a book after work.”

The opposite of “relax” — its antonyms — are stress and excite.

“Relax” is a verb.

The word “relax” comes from Latin. From Old French relaxer, from Latin relaxare, "to loosen or open," from re- plus laxare, "to loosen" (related to lax).

“Relax” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Relax” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to rest and become free of tension, stress, or worry.

"Rest" means to stop activity and give your body a break, often by sitting or sleeping. "Relax" means to become free of tension, stress, or worry, which is as much mental as physical. You can rest without relaxing if your mind is still anxious.

Both mean to become free of tension, and they are often interchangeable. "Unwind" is more informal and suggests gradually letting go of stress after a busy or demanding time. "Relax" is the broader, more general term.

Yes. Besides resting, "relax" has a second sense: to make something less tight, tense, or severe. So you can "relax the rules," "relax restrictions," or "relax your grip." In this use it means to ease or loosen rather than to rest.

"Calm down" means to reduce agitation, excitement, or anger and return to a settled state. "Relax" means to release tension and stress and become at ease. You tell an upset person to calm down, but you relax at the end of a long day.