As of 2019, Starbucks opens a new store every 15 hours in China. The coffee chain has grown by 700% over the past decade.
LOOSE
unaffixed, loose
(adjective) not affixed; âthe stamp came looseâ
easy, light, loose, promiscuous, sluttish, wanton
(adjective) casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior; âher easy virtueâ; âhe was told to avoid loose (or light) womenâ; âwanton behaviorâ
loose
(adjective) not compact or dense in structure or arrangement; âloose gravelâ
loose
(adjective) (of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player; âa loose ballâ
lax, loose
(adjective) emptying easily or excessively; âloose bowelsâ
free, loose, liberal
(adjective) not literal; âa loose interpretation of what she had been toldâ; âa free translation of the poemâ
loose
(adjective) not tight; not closely constrained or constricted or constricting; âloose clothingâ; âthe large shoes were very looseâ
informal, loose
(adjective) not officially recognized or controlled; âan informal agreementâ; âa loose organization of the local farmersâ
loose
(adjective) not carefully arranged in a package; âa box of loose nailsâ
idle, loose
(adjective) lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; âidle talkâ; âa loose tongueâ
loose, open
(adjective) (of textures) full of small openings or gaps; âan open textureâ; âa loose weaveâ
loose, slack
(adjective) not tense or taut; âthe old manâs skin hung loose and greyâ; âslack and wrinkled skinâ; âslack sailsâ; âa slack ropeâ; âa slack gripâ
loose, free
(adverb) without restraint; âcows in India are running looseâ
loosen, relax, loose
(verb) become loose or looser or less tight; âThe noose loosenedâ; âthe rope relaxedâ
loosen, loose
(verb) make loose or looser; âloosen the tension on a ropeâ
unleash, let loose, loose
(verb) turn loose or free from restraint; âlet loose minesâ; âLoose terrible plagues upon humanityâ
free, liberate, release, unloose, unloosen, loose
(verb) grant freedom to; free from confinement
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Proper noun
Loose (plural Looses)
A surname.
Anagrams
• oleos
Etymology 1
Verb
loose (third-person singular simple present looses, present participle loosing, simple past and past participle loosed)
(transitive) To let loose, to free from restraints.
(transitive) To unfasten, to loosen.
(transitive) To make less tight, to loosen.
(intransitive) Of a grip or hold, to let go.
(archery) to shoot (an arrow)
(obsolete) To set sail.
(obsolete) To solve; to interpret.
Synonyms
• (let loose): free, release
• (unfasten): loosen, unbind, undo, unfasten, untie
• (make less tight): loosen, relax, slacken
• (of grip or hold): let go, release
• (archery): fire, shoot
Antonyms
• (let loose): bind, constrain
• (unfasten): bind, fasten, tie
• (make less tight): tighten
• (of grip or hold): tighten
• (archery): fast
Adjective
loose (comparative looser, superlative loosest)
Not fixed in place tightly or firmly.
Not held or packaged together.
Not under control.
Not fitting closely
Not compact.
Relaxed.
Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate.
Indiscreet.
(somewhat dated) Free from moral restraint; immoral, unchaste.
(not comparable, sports) Not being in the possession of any competing team during a game.
(dated) Not costive; having lax bowels.
Synonyms
• (not fixed in place tightly or firmly): unfastened, unsecured; see also loose
• (not held or packaged together): separate, unpackaged
• (not bound or tethered or leashed): free, untethered
• (not fitting closely): baggy; see also loose-fitting
• (not compact): diffuse, spaced out; see also diffuse
• (relaxed): loose-limbed, relaxed; see also carefree
• (indiscreet): indiscreet
• (promiscuous): polygamous, promiscuous, slutty, tarty, whorish; see also promiscuous
Antonyms
• (not fixed in place tightly or firmly): firm, tight; see also tight
• (not held or packaged together): packaged
• (not bound or tethered or leashed): bound, leashed, tethered, tied, tied up
• (not fitting closely): close-fitting, snug, tight; see also close-fitting
• (not compact): compact, firm; see also compact
• (relaxed): tense, tensed
• (indiscreet): discreet
• (promiscuous): faithful, monogamous
Noun
loose (plural looses)
(archery) The release of an arrow.
(obsolete) A state of laxity or indulgence; unrestrained freedom, abandonment.
(rugby) All play other than set pieces (scrums and line-outs).
Freedom from restraint.
A letting go; discharge.
Interjection
loose
(archery) begin shooting; release your arrows
Antonyms
• (archery: begin shooting): fast
Etymology 2
Verb
loose
Misspelling of lose.
Anagrams
• oleos
Source: Wiktionary
Loose, a. [Compar. Looser; superl. Loosest.] Etym: [OE. loos, lous, laus, Icel. lauss; akin to OD. loos, D. los, AS. leås false, deceitful, G. los, loose, Dan. & Sw. lös, Goth. laus, and E. lose. Lose, and cf. Leasing falsehood.]
1. Unbound; untied; unsewed; not attached, fastened, fixed, or confined; as, the loose sheets of a book. Her hair, nor loose, nor tied in formal plat. Shak.
2. Free from constraint or obligation; not bound by duty, habit, etc. ; -- with from or of. Now I stand Loose of my vow; but who knows Cato's thoughts Addison.
3. Not tight or close; as, a loose garment.
4. Not dense, close, compact, or crowded; as, a cloth of loose texture. With horse and chariots ranked in loose array. Milton.
5. Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate; as, a loose style, or way of reasoning. The comparison employed . . . must be considered rather as a loose analogy than as an exact scientific explanation. Whewel.
6. Not strict in matters of morality; not rigid according to some standard of right. The loose morality which he had learned. Sir W. Scott.
7. Unconnected; rambling. Vario spends whole mornings in running over loose and unconnected pages. I. Watts.
8. Lax; not costive; having lax bowels. Locke.
9. Dissolute; unchaste; as, a loose man or woman. Loose ladies in delight. Spenser.
10. Containing or consisting of obscene or unchaste language; as, a loose epistle. Dryden. At loose ends, not in order; in confusion; carelessly managed.
– Fast and loose. See under Fast.
– To break loose. See under Break.
– Loose pulley. (Mach.) See Fast and loose pulleys, under Fast.
– To let loose, to free from restraint or confinement; to set at liberty.
Loose, n.
1. Freedom from restraint. [Obs.] Prior.
2. A letting go; discharge. B. Jonson. To give a loose, to give freedom. Vent all its griefs, and give a loose to sorrow. Addison.
Loose, v. n. [imp. & p. p. Loosed; p. pr. & vb. n. Loosing.] Etym: [From Loose, a.]
1. To untie or unbind; to free from any fastening; to remove the shackles or fastenings of; to set free; to relieve. Canst thou . . . loose the bands of Orion Job. xxxviii. 31. Ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her; loose them, and bring them unto me. Matt. xxi. 2.
2. To release from anything obligatory or burdensome; to disengage; hence, to absolve; to remit. Art thou loosed from a wife seek not a wife. 1 Cor. vii. 27. Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matt. xvi. 19.
3. To relax; to loosen; to make less strict. The joints of his loins were loosed. Dan. v. 6.
4. To solve; to interpret. [Obs.] Spenser.
Loose, v. i.
Definition: To set sail. [Obs.] Acts xiii. 13.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
22 February 2025
ANALYSIS
(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., âthe father of the brideâ instead of âthe brideâs fatherâ
Coffee Trivia
