relax

relax — verb

1. to stop feeling worried or nervous and become calmer, either by resting, doing s

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA2
Definition

to stop feeling worried or nervous and become calmer, either by resting, doing something you enjoy, or having someone help you settle down.

Example

Constanza likes to relax by taking a long hot bath after work.

intransitive: relax by + [activity]

The soft music helped the baby relax and fall asleep.

intransitive: relax + and + [verb]

Common collocations
  • relax by doing something
  • relax with a book/music
  • relax in the garden/bath
  • relax and enjoy
Synonyms
  • unwind

    Informal; emphasizes releasing tension after stress

  • chill out

    Very informal; common in casual spoken English

  • decompress

    Slightly more formal; suggests recovering from pressure

Antonyms
  • tense up

    The opposite physical and emotional reaction

  • stress out

    Informal phrasal verb, opposite emotional state

Grammar Patterns

relax + by + [activity]

relax + and + [verb]

[activity] + relaxes + [person]

Usage Note

Frequently used in the imperative mood as friendly advice: 'Relax!' meaning 'Do not worry.' The intransitive form is far more common than the transitive one.

Common Mistakes

I relaxed myself on the sofa after work.
I relaxed on the sofa after work.
When talking about your own calmness, 'relax' is intransitive; you do not need 'myself.'
The teacher relaxed the students by telling a joke.' (when meaning 'made calm')
The teacher helped the students relax by telling a joke.
'Relax' as a transitive verb works, but 'help someone relax' is more natural for causing calmness in a person.

2. to cause a specific muscle or body part to become less tense and more loose, or

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to cause a specific muscle or body part to become less tense and more loose, or to naturally stop being tight.

Example

The massage therapist told Lan to relax her shoulders and breathe deeply.

transitive: relax + [body part] as direct object

Samir relaxed his leg muscles after the long run by doing gentle stretches.

Common collocations
  • relax your shoulders/neck/jaw/muscles
  • relax the muscles in your back
  • relax your grip
Synonyms
  • loosen

    More general; can apply to objects other than body parts

  • slacken

    More formal; often used in medical or technical writing

Antonyms
  • tighten

    Direct opposite action for muscles

  • tense

    Specifically for muscles becoming tight

Grammar Patterns

relax + [body part]

[body part] + relaxes

Usage Note

Commonly used with specific body-part nouns as direct objects: relax your shoulders, relax your jaw, relax your muscles. When used intransitively, the subject is the body part itself.

Common Mistakes

I relaxed my mind by closing my eyes.' (mixing senses)
I relaxed my shoulders by rolling them gently.
'Relax' with a body part is physical and literal; for mental calmness, use sense 1.

3. to officially make a rule, law, limit, or control less strict or severe.

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to officially make a rule, law, limit, or control less strict or severe.

Example

The school relaxed its dress code so students could wear casual clothes to class.

transitive: relax + [policy/rule]

The government plans to relax the visa rules for visitors from certain countries.

Common collocations
  • relax the rules/laws/restrictions
  • relax the standards
  • relax visa requirements
  • relax controls
Synonyms
  • ease

    Similar meaning but slightly less formal; common in news reporting

  • loosen

    Informal alternative; suggests making something less tight

  • liberalize

    Formal; typically used for laws, trade, and economic policies

Antonyms
  • tighten

    Direct opposite; make rules stricter

  • strengthen

    Make controls more powerful or severe

Grammar Patterns

relax + [rule/law/policy/restriction]

Usage Note

Subject is typically an authority such as a government, school, company, or official body. The object is always an abstract noun referring to a rule or restriction — never a person.

Common Mistakes

The teacher relaxed the students by cancelling the test.' (confusing with sense 1)
The teacher relaxed the grading standards for the final project.
Here 'relaxed' means 'made less strict,' not 'made calmer.'

4. to use chemical products to turn curly or wavy hair into a straight or less curl

4.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to use chemical products to turn curly or wavy hair into a straight or less curly texture.

Example

Ada decided to relax her hair for the summer wedding next month.

transitive: relax + [possessive] + hair

The hairdresser warned Quinn not to relax her hair more than twice a year.

Common collocations
  • relax your hair
  • get your hair relaxed
  • hair relaxer
  • chemical relaxer
Synonyms
  • straighten

    Broader meaning; includes both chemical and heat methods

Antonyms
  • curl

    Opposite process; making straight hair curly

  • perm

    Specific chemical process to add curls

Grammar Patterns

relax + [hair]

Usage Note

This sense refers specifically to chemical straightening, not to temporary straightening with a hair dryer or flat iron. The noun form 'relaxer' is common: 'hair relaxer.'

Common Mistakes

I relaxed my hair with a blow dryer this morning.
I relaxed my hair at the salon using a chemical treatment.
This sense is only for chemical straightening, not heat styling.

5. to intentionally reduce the amount of energy, focus, or speed you are putting in

5.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to intentionally reduce the amount of energy, focus, or speed you are putting into something.

Example

Baraka relaxed his efforts after building a big lead in the basketball game.

transitive: relax + [effort/guard]

The team relaxed their pace after taking a three-goal lead in the second half.

Common collocations
  • relax your efforts
  • relax your guard
  • relax your pace
  • relax your attention
Synonyms
  • ease up

    Phrasal verb; slightly more informal

  • let up

    Often paired with 'on': 'let up on your efforts'

Antonyms
  • intensify

    Formal; opposite of reducing effort

  • step up

    Informal phrasal verb; opposite of easing off

Grammar Patterns

relax + [effort/guard/pace]

relax + [possessive] + [abstract noun]

Usage Note

Often carries a slightly negative implication — suggesting someone should keep trying hard but has stopped. Common fixed collocations: relax your efforts, relax your guard, relax your pace.

Common Mistakes

He relaxed his homework after finishing the easy part.' (wrong object)
He relaxed his efforts after finishing the main part of the project.
The object must be an abstract noun like effort, guard, pace, or attention, not a concrete task.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three describe reducing stress or tension, but they differ in formality and context. 'Unwind' suggests a gradual release after a period of effort — you unwind with a book or a hobby after a long day. 'Chill out' is very informal and often used as a command ('Chill out!') in casual conversation among friends; it sounds out of place in professional writing. 'Decompress' originally referred to releasing air pressure, and in a psychological sense it implies recovering from intense pressure, like taking a break after a stressful meeting. For general use, 'relax' is the most neutral and widely applicable. For example: 'After a hectic week, I like to unwind with a glass of wine,' or 'You need to decompress after that difficult exam.' Use 'chill out' only in informal spoken settings with people you know well.

unwind ↗chill out ↗decompress

Common collocations

Adverbs

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'relax' comes from Latin 'relaxare', meaning 'to loosen' or 'to stretch out'. It is formed from the prefix 're-' (back, again) plus 'laxare' (to loosen, to slacken). The word entered English through Old French 'relaxer' in the 1300s, originally with the physical meaning of making something less tight. Over time it developed the additional senses of reducing tension in rules (1400s) and easing mental strain (1700s).