relax
C1Informal to Formal (depends on context)
Definition
Meaning
to become or make someone become less tense, anxious, or rigid; to rest and reduce stress.
To make a rule, law, or restriction less strict; to become looser or less firm; to ease off in effort or concentration.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a verb; also forms participial adjective 'relaxed' and abstract noun 'relaxation'. Can be transitive or intransitive. In technical contexts (e.g., physics, computing), has specific meanings (e.g., 'relax constraints', 'relaxed muscle').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling and conjugation are identical. Minor differences in typical collocations/preferred synonyms (e.g., 'chill out' slightly more common in US informal speech). The adjective 'relaxed' is used slightly more frequently in UK English.
Connotations
Very similar core connotations. In US advertising, 'relax' is heavily used for wellness/personal care products.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both dialects, with roughly equal usage.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[V] (intransitive)[VN] (transitive)[V that] (rare, e.g., 'He relaxed his grip.')[V into N] (e.g., 'relax into the sofa')[V -ing] (e.g., 'He relaxed watching TV.')Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “relax your guard”
- “kick back and relax”
- “let your hair down (related)”
- “take a load off (related)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in contexts of workplace culture ('relaxed dress code'), management ('relax deadlines'), or negotiations ('relax our position').
Academic
Used in psychology/health sciences ('subjects were asked to relax'). In formal writing, more common in participial form ('a relaxed assumption').
Everyday
The most common context: instructing others or describing one's own state after work, on holiday, during leisure.
Technical
In computing: 'relax a constraint in the algorithm'. In physics/materials: 'the material relaxes to its original state'. In medicine: 'the muscle relaxes'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He needed to relax after the stressful meeting.
- The government decided to relax the quarantine rules.
- Just relax and enjoy the film.
American English
- Why don't you relax and have a drink?
- They relaxed the enforcement of the parking laws.
- His shoulders relaxed when he heard the good news.
adverb
British English
- She smiled relaxedly as she answered.
- They strolled relaxedly through the park.
American English
- He sat relaxedly in the armchair.
- She spoke relaxedly about her experiences.
adjective
British English
- She has a very relaxed manner with clients.
- The restaurant had a relaxed vibe.
- Friday is a relaxed dress-down day.
American English
- He's pretty relaxed about the whole situation.
- We spent a relaxed afternoon by the pool.
- The teacher has a relaxed grading policy.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Please sit down and relax.
- I relax by listening to music.
- He looks very relaxed.
- You should try to relax before your exam.
- The new manager has relaxed the office rules.
- We had a relaxed evening at home.
- The medication helps the muscles to relax.
- The border controls were relaxed for the festival.
- She maintains a relaxed attitude despite the pressure.
- The company relaxed its stringent copyright policy in response to feedback.
- After years of tension, relations between the two departments have finally relaxed.
- His features relaxed into a genuine smile.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of RE-LAX: to become LAX (loose, not strict) again.
Conceptual Metaphor
RELAXATION IS A LIQUID/MELTING ('melt into the chair'), RELAXATION IS A JOURNEY TO A CALM STATE ('drift off'), TENSION IS A KNOT ('unwind').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating 'расслабляться' in negative contexts where it implies negligence ('Don't relax!' vs 'Don't slack off!').
- The command 'Relax!' can sound abrupt/rude in English, unlike the softer 'Try to relax.'
- English 'relaxed' (adj.) covers both 'расслабленный' (physically) and 'расслабляющий' (atmosphere).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'I need to relax myself.' (Omit reflexive; just 'I need to relax.')
- Confusing adjective: 'a relaxing holiday' (makes you relax) vs 'a relaxed holiday' (was calm/without stress).
- Overusing 'relax' for 'rest' (you can rest without being tense; relax implies release of tension).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'relax' used in a technical or formal regulatory sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily dynamic (an action/process), but can describe a resultant state (e.g., 'He sat relaxed'). The adjective 'relaxed' is stative.
Yes, but 'Relax!' alone can sound like a command or criticism. Softer forms like 'Just relax,' 'Try to relax,' or 'You need to relax' are more common and polite.
'Rest' primarily means to cease activity or work to recover energy. 'Relax' specifically means to become less tense, anxious, or stiff, which often involves resting, but not always (e.g., you can rest physically but still be mentally tense).
In informal contexts, yes, especially for mental relaxation. However, 'chill out' is more informal/colloquial and can also mean 'calm down' in a situation of anger/excitement. 'Relax' has a wider range of formal and technical uses.