relax

7 definitions • 11 examples

to (cause someone to) become less active and more calm and happy:

After work she relaxed with a cup of tea and the newspaper.

By and large, cooking relaxes me.

to (cause a part of the body) to become less stiff:

A good massage will relax your tired muscles.

Muscles in the throat relax during sleep, causing shallow or obstructed breathing.

to make a rule or control less severe:

Two weeks after the police relaxed security at the airports, there was a bomb attack.

to make curly hair straight or less tightly curled using a special chemical:

The same applies if your hair has been permed or relaxed.

Cut styling time in half by relaxing the bottom layers of hair.

to become or cause someone to become calm and comfortable, and not worried or nervous, or to become or cause a muscle or the body to become less tight:

[ I ] She saw a need for a downtown club where women could relax.

[ T ] This exercise will help you to relax your neck muscles.

[ T ] He relaxed his grip on my arm (= held it less tightly).

When rules or controls are relaxed, they are made less severe.

to make rules, laws, etc. less severe:

The government is to relax restrictions on companies and individuals holding foreign currencies.