relax

v

1. loose, slacken, untighten, relieve tension, Obs. slake; relinquish one's grip or hold, let go of, release, free, liberate.

2. lessen, diminish, lower, decrease, decline; abate, bate, subside, recede, ebb, lull, quell, slake; flag, wane, fade away, tail off, let down, run down, die down, dwindle, taper off, attenuate.

3. ease up, ease off, Inf. let up, slack off or up, Inf. let up on; go easy, be easy or lenient or clement, show clemency or mercy, forbear, give in; modulate, soften, cushion, milden, mellow, lighten, reduce, weaken, tone down, Inf. soft-pedal, downplay; moderate, subdue, chasten, temper, check, curb, take the edge off; mitigate, alleviate, allay, assuage, mollify, dulcify; muffle, hush, quiet, damp, dull, blunt, deaden, Music. flatten.

4. calm, tranquilize, quiet, soothe, smooth, pacify; calm down, unwind, unbend, loosen up, hang loose, Inf. let oneself go, be oneself, Inf. let one's hair down, Sl. let it all hang out; be calm, be tranquil, be or hold or lie still, not move a muscle, be quiet, quiet down, be inactive.

5. rest, repose, lay back, sit back, Sl. take it easy, Sl. cool it; sit or lie down, put one's head down, get off one's feet, Sl. rest one's dogs; take a break, take time out, take time to catch one's breath, Inf. take a breather, Inf. take five; take or go on a vacation, take a holiday, take time off, take leave, take a leave of absence, take a sabbatical, enjoy oneself; lounge, lounge around, hang or loiter around, loaf, loaf around, lie around, laze, vegetate, Inf. lallygag, Sl. goof off, Sl. gold-brick, Sl. sit on one's duff or can; idle, be idle, idle or while away the hours, twiddle one's thumbs, pass or mark or kill time, Sl. screw around, Sl. futz around, Inf. fool or mess around.

6. linger, tarry, take one's time, take it slow, dawdle, hang back; slow down or up, decelerate, wind down, throttle down, put on the brakes, rein in, deescalate, retard; intermit, pause, halt, pull or draw or hold up, come to a halt, come to a standstill, suspend activity, cease, stop, discontinue, All Naut. bring to, lay to, lay up, rest on one's oars.