looser; loosest
1
a
: not rigidly fastened or securely attached
loose planks in a bridge
b(1)
: having worked partly free from attachments
a loose tooth
(2)
: having relative freedom of movement
c
: produced freely and accompanied by raising of mucus
a loose cough
d
: not tight-fitting
loose clothing
2
a
: free from a state of confinement, restraint, or obligation
a lion loose in the streets
spend loose funds wisely
b
: not brought together in a bundle, container, or binding
c
archaic
: disconnected, detached
3
a
: not dense, close, or compact in structure or arrangement
loose soil
b
: not solid : watery
loose stools
4
a
: lacking in restraint or power of restraint
a loose tongue
b
: lacking moral restraint : unchaste
c
: overactive
specifically
: marked by frequent voiding especially of watery stools
loose bowels
6
a
: lacking in precision, exactness, or care
loose brushwork
loose usage
b
: permitting freedom of interpretation
a loose construction of the Constitution
7
: not in the possession of either of two competing teams
a loose ball
a loose puck
looseness
noun
loosed; loosing
1
a
: to let loose (see loose entry 1) : release
loosed the dogs on the prowlers
b
: to free from restraint
2
: to make loose : untie
loose a knot
5
: to make less rigid, tight, or strict : relax
loosed his grip
: to let fly a missile (such as an arrow) : fire
: in a loose manner (see loose entry 1) : loosely
Synonyms
Examples of loose in a Sentence
Adjective
Some of the shingles on the roof were loose.
The rope was tied in a loose knot.
The nails had been pried loose.
Some of the shingles had come loose.
The boat came loose from its moorings and floated out into the harbor.
The ball popped loose from the shortstop's glove.
loose reins on a horse
She was wearing a loose dress.
The dog was wandering loose in the streets.
Verb
The soldiers loosed a volley of rifle fire.
the archers loosed a great volley of arrows at the foot soldiers charging towards them
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Recent Examples on the Web
Jessica Booth, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
In the looser and more experimental new season, Hugs Not Thugs has gone under, and the men squabble over who’s unhappier—with some competition from a now dissolute Minister Payne.
—The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2023
On the Sunday’s first play, Shaheed caught the kickoff and angled left toward the sideline only for Titans defender Amani Hooker to punch the ball loose and wrest it away for a turnover near the sideline.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2023
When practicing in your backyard, hang an old comforter from a clothesline behind your target, leaving it loose on the bottom.
—Jim Cobb, Field & Stream, 13 Sep. 2023
Both the symbol and the text are associated with the sovereign citizen movement, a loose network of right-wing extremists who reject government and law enforcement.
—Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 Sep. 2023
Kate Middleton is known for her warm brunette hair that typically cascades towards her chest in loose waves or curls.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 12 Sep. 2023
Wildcat nickel Alex Afari rammed into Koziol and popped the ball loose.
—The Courier-Journal, 2 Sep. 2023
Was very freeing to play loose, wing it, and see what happened.
—Daniel Kohn, Spin, 1 Sep. 2023
Namwali Serpell, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2023
Islamic Jihad loosed a barrage of retaliatory rocket attacks; Israel responded with surprise strikes across Gaza early Tuesday that killed at least three of the group’s commanders.
—Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 12 May 2023
Over the last few days, DeSantis has loosed a barrage of attacks on Trump.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 5 June 2023
But perhaps none of the slings and arrows flung at Jackson has provoked as much outrage as the one the state House of Representatives loosed earlier this month.
—Michael Wines, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2023
The Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, has proven a formidable weapon for the U.S. military, quietly lurking in the sky and then zipping in to loose a missile on enemy targets.
—David H Freedman, Discover Magazine, 23 Sep. 2012
The results show that olfactory stimulation and processing may help maintain a healthy brain, and people who loose their sense of smell may experience emotional consequences.
—Ian Vorster, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2014
Angel did loose a wheel on one outing to Andy's on Walnut Street in Rogers, Hill said.
—Tracy Neal, Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2022
Anyone weary of cringe-y, performative displays of bien-pensant thinking might crack a smile — or let loose a belly laugh.
—Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, 23 Dec. 2022
Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Aug. 2023
Cunningham is simply too athletic and too team-oriented for the Patriots to cut loose.
—Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Aug. 2023
In the vid, her deep, rich brunette hair is parted in the center and styled in done but not done loose, undulating waves flowing all the way down her shoulders almost to her hips.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 10 Aug. 2023
Bret got the collar loose, her husband opened up the crawl space, and the dog came running out.
—Kelsey Mulvey, House Beautiful, 7 Aug. 2023
Plus, widely available standard .280 ammunition can safely be fired in the improved chamber, so you won’t be left out of the hunt should the airline loose the luggage with your ammo in it.
—Joseph Von Benedikt, Field & Stream, 3 Aug. 2023
Two years later—with the Supreme Court shaking loose a lot of ground in the interim—that figure surged to 60%.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 23 June 2023
And then, all of a sudden, all of the threads rip loose, and the net gets cast down to nothing.
—Michael Granberry, Dallas News, 23 June 2023
In one of the early matches that night, a fighter’s headgear came loose.
—Zoë Bernard, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2023
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Adjective
Her hair was pulled back into a soft and wispy half-up 'do that looked put together without being fussy, along with some loose curls.
—Jessica Booth, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
In the looser and more experimental new season, Hugs Not Thugs has gone under, and the men squabble over who’s unhappier—with some competition from a now dissolute Minister Payne.
—The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2023
On the Sunday’s first play, Shaheed caught the kickoff and angled left toward the sideline only for Titans defender Amani Hooker to punch the ball loose and wrest it away for a turnover near the sideline.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2023
When practicing in your backyard, hang an old comforter from a clothesline behind your target, leaving it loose on the bottom.
—Jim Cobb, Field & Stream, 13 Sep. 2023
Both the symbol and the text are associated with the sovereign citizen movement, a loose network of right-wing extremists who reject government and law enforcement.
—Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 Sep. 2023
Kate Middleton is known for her warm brunette hair that typically cascades towards her chest in loose waves or curls.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 12 Sep. 2023
Wildcat nickel Alex Afari rammed into Koziol and popped the ball loose.
—The Courier-Journal, 2 Sep. 2023
Was very freeing to play loose, wing it, and see what happened.
—Daniel Kohn, Spin, 1 Sep. 2023
Verb
The death of Nobel laureate Toni Morrison in the summer of 2019 loosed a flood of words upon the world.
—Namwali Serpell, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2023
Islamic Jihad loosed a barrage of retaliatory rocket attacks; Israel responded with surprise strikes across Gaza early Tuesday that killed at least three of the group’s commanders.
—Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 12 May 2023
Over the last few days, DeSantis has loosed a barrage of attacks on Trump.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 5 June 2023
But perhaps none of the slings and arrows flung at Jackson has provoked as much outrage as the one the state House of Representatives loosed earlier this month.
—Michael Wines, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2023
The Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, has proven a formidable weapon for the U.S. military, quietly lurking in the sky and then zipping in to loose a missile on enemy targets.
—David H Freedman, Discover Magazine, 23 Sep. 2012
The results show that olfactory stimulation and processing may help maintain a healthy brain, and people who loose their sense of smell may experience emotional consequences.
—Ian Vorster, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2014
Angel did loose a wheel on one outing to Andy's on Walnut Street in Rogers, Hill said.
—Tracy Neal, Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2022
Anyone weary of cringe-y, performative displays of bien-pensant thinking might crack a smile — or let loose a belly laugh.
—Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, 23 Dec. 2022
Adverb
Instead of the classic twist-on broom head, this option features a snap-locking mechanism that will never twist loose.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Aug. 2023
Cunningham is simply too athletic and too team-oriented for the Patriots to cut loose.
—Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Aug. 2023
In the vid, her deep, rich brunette hair is parted in the center and styled in done but not done loose, undulating waves flowing all the way down her shoulders almost to her hips.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 10 Aug. 2023
Bret got the collar loose, her husband opened up the crawl space, and the dog came running out.
—Kelsey Mulvey, House Beautiful, 7 Aug. 2023
Plus, widely available standard .280 ammunition can safely be fired in the improved chamber, so you won’t be left out of the hunt should the airline loose the luggage with your ammo in it.
—Joseph Von Benedikt, Field & Stream, 3 Aug. 2023
Two years later—with the Supreme Court shaking loose a lot of ground in the interim—that figure surged to 60%.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 23 June 2023
And then, all of a sudden, all of the threads rip loose, and the net gets cast down to nothing.
—Michael Granberry, Dallas News, 23 June 2023
In one of the early matches that night, a fighter’s headgear came loose.
—Zoë Bernard, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective, Verb, and Adverb
Middle English lous, from Old Norse lauss; akin to Old High German lōs loose — more at -less
First Known Use
Adjective
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Adverb
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of loose was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing loose
Dictionary Entries Near loose
Cite this Entry
“Loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loose. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
loose
1 of 2 adjective
looser; loosest
1
a
: not firmly fastened or securely attached
a loose tooth
b
: no longer attached
a boat loose from its moorings
c
: not tight-fitting
2
a
: not shut in, tied up, or held back
a lion loose in the streets
b
: not brought together in a bundle, container, or binding
loose sheets of pages
3
: not dense or compact
loose dirt
cloth of loose weave
4
: not respectable : immoral
loose conduct
5
: not tightly drawn or stretched : slack
6
: not exact or careful
a loose guess
loose
adverb
loosely
adverb
looseness
noun
Medical Definition
loose
adjective
looser; loosest
1
a
: not rigidly fastened or securely attached
b(1)
: having worked partly free from attachments
a loose tooth
(2)
: having relative freedom of movement
c
: produced freely and accompanied by raising of mucus
a loose cough
2
a
: not dense, close, or compact in structure or arrangement
loose connective tissue
b
: not solid : watery
loose stools
3
: overactive
specifically
: marked by frequent voiding especially of watery stools
loose bowels
4
: not tightly drawn or stretched
loose skin
loosely
adverb
looseness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on loose
Nglish: Translation of loose for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of loose for Arabic Speakers
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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