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1. Not tight; not closely constrained or constricted or constricting
   "loose clothing"; "the large shoes were very loose"
    
2. Not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
   "loose gravel"
    
3. (of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player
   "a loose ball"
    
4. Not officially recognized or controlled
   "a loose organization of the local farmers"
   - informal
    
5. Not literal
   "a loose interpretation of what she had been told"
   - free, liberal
    
6. Emptying easily or excessively
   "loose bowels"
   - lax
    
7. Not affixed
   "the stamp came loose"
   - unaffixed
    
8. Not tense or taut
   "the old man's skin hung loose and grey"
   - slack
    
9. (of textures) full of small openings or gaps
   "a loose weave"
   - open
    
10. Lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility
    "a loose tongue"
    - idle
     
11. Not carefully arranged in a package
    "a box of loose nails"
     
12. Having escaped, especially from confinement
    "dogs loose on the streets"; "criminals on the loose in the neighbourhood"
    - at large, escaped, on the loose
     
13. Casual and unrestrained in sexual behaviour
    "he was told to avoid loose (or light) women"
    - easy, light, promiscuous, sluttish, wanton

1. Grant freedom to; free from confinement
   - free, liberate, release, unloose, unloosen
    
2. Turn loose or free from restraint
   "let loose mines"; "Loose terrible plagues upon humanity"
   - unleash, let loose
    
3. Make loose or looser
   - loosen
    
4. Become loose or looser or less tight
   - loosen, relax

1. Without restraint
   "cows in India are running loose"
   - free

Derived forms: loosing, loosest, looses, loosed, looser

See also: baggy, coarse, flyaway, free, harsh, inexact, irresponsible, lax, light, loose-fitting, loosely, looseness, regular, saggy, shifting, silty, sloppy, unchaste, unconsolidated, unconstipated, uncontrolled, unfirm, unofficial, unpackaged

Type of: alter, change, let go, let go of, modify, release, relinquish, weaken

Antonym: compact, tight

Encyclopedia: Loose Loose, Germany Loose, Kent