loosen (redirected from loosening up)

loosen someone or something up

to make someone's muscles and joints move more freely by exercising them. The exercise loosened me up quite nicely. It loosened up my legs. I have to do some exercises to loosen myself up.

See also: up

loosen someone up

Fig. to make someone or a group more relaxed and friendly. I loosened up the audience with a joke. Loosen yourself up. Relax and try to enjoy people.

See also: up

loosen up

to become loose or relaxed. Loosen up. Relax. We tried to get Mary to loosen up, but she did not respond.

See also: up

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loosen your tongue

if alcohol loosens your tongue, it makes you talk a lot without thinking carefully about what you are saying Her tongue loosened by drink, she began to say things that she would later regret.

See also: tongue

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loosen your tongue

to cause you to talk without thinking carefully about what you are saying The vodka really loosened her tongue and I found out exactly what happened that night.

See also: tongue

loosen up (somebody) also loosen somebody up

to behave in a relaxed, informal way Slowly she began to loosen up and, by the second semester, she was making friends with her classmates. The question was supposed to loosen people up and chase away their anxieties.

See also: up