loose

If something is loose, it’s too big, or it moves when it should be secure. If a person or an animal is loose, it has escaped from confinement, or it’s a person who isn’t very careful. The word "loose" is also the opposite of the adjective "tight."

• Little Edgar has a loose tooth. He’s probably going to lose it soon.
• The hinge on the door is loose. It has to be fixed.
• These pants feel a little loose. I think I’m losing weight.
• Some kids let a few mice loose in the school as a prank.
• There are a few criminals loose in our neighborhood, so everyone is keeping their doors locked.
• My dog is loose.

To form a verb, add "en" to the end of "loose" to form "loosen."

• Loosen your tie and relax. The work day is over.
• The government is loosening its restrictions on gun ownership.
• Peter loosened up before the match by stretching and exercising.
• Some practical joker loosened Bill’s front tire and it fell off.

His tire fell off.

There are a few expressions that make use of the word "loose."

• The housekeepers find a lot of loose change when they vacuum the couches and chairs. (loose change = money, coins. If you find it, you can keep it.)
• Joe Biden is kind of a loose cannon. You never know what he’s going to say. (loose cannon = a person who says or does things without careful consideration)
• Politicians generally play fast and loose with the truth.
• Older people in the apartment building think that Eva is a loose woman, but she’s actually very conservative.

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Published on October 29, 2014