1.  relax(v = verb.body) decompress, loosen up, slow down, unbend, unwind - become less tense, rest, or take one's ease; "He relaxed in the hot tub"; "Let's all relax after a hard day's work"
is one way to change state, turn
Antonym: tense
Derived forms adjective relaxant₁, noun relaxation₅, noun relaxation₁
Sample sentences: Sam and Sue relax

2.  relax(v = verb.change) unbend - make less taut; "relax the tension on the rope"
is one way to loose, loosen
Derived forms noun relaxation₁, noun relaxer₁
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something

3.  relax(v = verb.change) loose, loosen - become loose or looser or less tight; "The noose loosened"; "the rope relaxed"
is one way to weaken
Derived form noun relaxation₄
Sample sentences: Something ----s; Somebody ----s

4.  relax(v = verb.body) loosen up, make relaxed, unlax, unstrain, unwind - cause to feel relaxed; "A hot bath always relaxes me"
is one way to affect
Antonym: tense
Derived forms noun relaxant₁, adjective relaxant₁, noun relaxation₃, noun relaxer₁
Sample sentences: The performance is likely to relax Sue

5.  relax(v = verb.social) loosen up - become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner; "our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group"
is one way to act, behave, do
Derived form noun relaxation₃
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s

6.  relax(v = verb.social) loosen - make less severe or strict; "The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught"
is one way to alter, change, modify
Derived form noun relaxation₇
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something

7.  relax(v = verb.social) loosen - become less severe or strict; "The rules relaxed after the new director arrived"
is one way to change
Derived form noun relaxation₇
Sample sentences: Something ----s

8.  relax(v = verb.change) slack, slack up, slacken - make less active or fast; "He slackened his pace as he got tired"; "Don't relax your efforts now"
is one way to decrease, lessen, minify
Derived form noun relaxation₄
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something

1.  To make lax or loose; to make less close, firm, rigid, tense, or the like; to slacken; to loosen; to open; as, to relax a rope or cord; to relax the muscles or sinews. [1913 Webster]
"Horror . . . all his joints relaxed." [1913 Webster]
"Nor served it to relax their serried files." [1913 Webster]

2.  To make less severe or rigorous; to abate the stringency of; to remit in respect to strenuousness, earnestness, or effort; as, to relax discipline; to relax one's attention or endeavors. [1913 Webster]
"The statute of mortmain was at several times relaxed by the legislature." [1913 Webster]

3.  Hence, to relieve from attention or effort; to ease; to recreate; to divert; as, amusement relaxes the mind. [1913 Webster]

4.  To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open; as, an aperient relaxes the bowels. [1913 Webster]

1.  To become lax, weak, or loose; as, to let one's grasp relax. [1913 Webster]
"His knees relax with toil." [1913 Webster]

2.  To abate in severity; to become less rigorous. [1913 Webster]
"In others she relaxed again,
And governed with a looser rein." [1913 Webster]

3.  To remit attention or effort; to become less diligent; to unbend; as, to relax in study. [1913 Webster]

   Relaxation. Feltham. [1913 Webster]

   Relaxed; lax; hence, remiss; careless. [1913 Webster]

relax, v.
1 tr. & intr. make or become less stiff or rigid or tense.
2 tr. & intr. make or become less formal or strict (rules were relaxed).
3 tr. reduce or abate (one's attention, efforts, etc.).
4 intr. cease work or effort.
5 tr. (as relaxed adj.) at ease; unperturbed.

Derivative:
relaxedly adv. relaxedness n. relaxer n.

Etymology:
ME f. L relaxare (as RE-, LAX)

VB  make loose, loosen, slacken, relax, unglue, detach.

VB  be inactive, do nothing, move slowly, let the grass grow under one's feet, take one's time, dawdle, drawl, droil, lag, hang back, slouch, loll, lollop, lounge, poke, loaf, loiter, go to sleep over, sleep at one's post, ne battre que d'une aile, take it easy, take things as they come, lead an easy life, vegetate, swim with the stream, eat the bread of idleness, loll in the lap of luxury, loll in the lap of indolence, waste time, consume time, kill time, lose time, burn daylight, waste the precious hours, idle away time, trifle away time, fritter away time, fool away time, spend time in, take time in, peddle, piddle, potter, pudder, dabble, faddle fribble, fiddle-faddle, dally, dilly-dally, sleep, slumber, be asleep, hibernate, oversleep, sleep like a top, sleep like a log, sleep like a dormouse, sleep soundly, heavily, doze, drowze, snooze, nap, take a nap, dream, snore one's best, settle to sleep, go to sleep, go off to sleep, doze off, drop off, fall asleep, drop asleep, close the eyes, seal up the eyes, seal up eyelids, weigh down the eyelids, get sleep, nod, yawn, go to bed, turn, get some z's, stack z's, languish, expend itself, flag, hang fire, relax, render idle, sluggardize, mitigate.

VB  repose, rest, rest and be thankful, take a rest, take one's ease, take it easy, relax, unbend, slacken, take breath, rest upon one's oars, pause, stay one's hand, lie down, recline, recline on a bed of down, recline on an easy chair, go to rest, go to bed, go to sleep, take a holiday, shut up shop, lie fallow.

VB  be lax, laisser faire, laisser aller, hold a loose rein, give the reins to, give rope enough, give a loose to, tolerate, relax, misrule, go beyond the length of one's tether, have one's swing, have one's fling, act without instructions, act without authority, act outside of one's authority, act on one's own responsibility, usurp authority, dethrone, depose, abdicate.

VB  liberate, free, set free, set clear, set at liberty, render free, emancipate, release, enfranchise, affranchise, manumit, enlarge, disband, discharge, disenthrall, disenthral, dismiss, let go, let loose, loose, let out, let slip, cast adrift, turn adrift, deliver, absolve, unfetter &c, untie, loose, loosen, relax, unbolt, unbar, unclose, uncork, unclog, unhand, unbind, unchain, unharness, unleash, disengage, disentangle, clear, extricate, unloose, gain one's liberty, obtain one's liberty, acquire one's liberty, get rid of, get clear of, deliver oneself from, shake off the yoke, slip the collar, break loose, break prison, tear asunder one's bonds, cast off trammels, escape.

VB  be weak, drop, crumble, give way, totter, tremble, shake, halt, limp, fade, languish, decline, flag, fail, have one leg in the grave, render weak, weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, shake, deprive of strength, relax, enervate, eviscerate, unbrace, unnerve, cripple, unman, cramp, reduce, sprain, strain, blunt the edge of, dilute, impoverish, decimate, extenuate, reduce in strength, reduce the strength of, mettre de l'eau dans son vin.

VB  pity, have pity, show pity, take pity, commiserate, compassionate, condole, sympathize, feel for, be sorry for, yearn for, weep, melt, thaw, enter into the feelings of, forbear, relent, relax, give quarter, wipe the tears, parcere subjectis, give a coup de gr=ace, put out of one's misery, raise pity, excite pity, touch, soften, melt, melt the heart, propitiate, disarm, ask for mercy, supplicate, cry for quarter, beg one's life, kneel, deprecate.

VB  be undue, not be due, infringe, encroach, trench on, exact, arrogate, arrogate to oneself, give an inch and take an ell, stretch a point, strain a point, usurp, violate, do violence to, disfranchise, disentitle, disqualify, invalidate, relax, misbehave, misbecome.

VB  move slowly, creep, crawl, lag, slug, drawl, linger, loiter, saunter, plod, trudge, stump along, lumber, trail, drag, dawdle, grovel, worm one's way, steal along, job on, rub on, bundle on, toddle, waddle, wabble, slug, traipse, slouch, shuffle, halt, hobble, limp, caludicate, shamble, flag, falter, trotter, stagger, mince, step short, march in slow time, march in funeral procession, take one's time, hang fire, retard, relax, slacken, check, moderate, rein in, curb, reef, strike sail, shorten sail, take in sail, put on the drag, apply the brake, clip the wings, reduce the speed, slacken speed, slacken one's pace, lose ground.

VB  render soft, soften, mollify, mellow, relax, temper, mash, knead, squash, bend, yield, relent, relax, give, plasticize', render soft, soften, mollify, mellow, relax, temper, mash, knead, squash, bend, yield, relent, relax, give, plasticize'.