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1. Not tight; not closely constrained, constricted or constricting
   "loose clothing"; "the large shoes were very loose"
    
2. Not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
   "loose gravel"
    
3. Not affixed
   "the stamp came loose";
   - unaffixed
    
4. (of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player
   "a loose ball"
    
5. Not officially recognized or controlled
   "a loose organization of the local farmers";
   - informal
    
6. Not literal
   "a loose interpretation of what she had been told";
   - free, liberal
    
7. Emptying easily or excessively
   "loose bowels";
   - lax
    
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 broken free from confinement, capture, control, etc.
    "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
    - easy, promiscuous, sluttish [informal], wanton, tarty [informal], slutty [informal]

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

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 less tight or stiff
   "loose the tension on a rope";
   - loosen
    
4. Become loose, looser or less tight
   - loosen, relax

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

See also: baggy, coarse, flyaway, free, harsh, inexact, irresponsible, lax, light, loose-fitting, 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, stiffen, tight

Encyclopedia: Loose, Loud & Crazy