Relaxing

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Relax \Re*lax"\ (r?-l?ks"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Relaxed}
     (-l?kst"); p. pr. & vb. n. {Relaxing}.] [L. relaxare; pref.
     re- re- + laxare to loose, to slacken, from laxus loose. See
     {Lax}, and cf. {Relay}, n., {Release}.]
     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.  --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Nor served it to relax their serried files.
                                                    --Milton.
        [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.                   --Swift.
        [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]
  
     Syn: To slacken; loosen; loose; remit; abate; mitigate; ease;
          unbend; divert.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  relaxing
       adj : affording or marked by rest or repose; "the time spent was
             pleasant and relaxing"; "a restful night"; "a cool and
             reposeful glen" [syn: {restful}, {reposeful}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  47 Moby Thesaurus words for "relaxing":
     abating, allaying, alleviating, assuaging, blunting, chastening,
     comfortable, comfy, commodious, contented, convenient, cozy,
     cushioned, cushioning, cushiony, cushy, dampening, damping,
     deadening, demulcent, diminishing, dulling, easeful, easing, easy,
     emollient, friendly, homelike, homely, homey, lessening, lived-in,
     loosening, luxurious, mitigating, mollifying, peaceful, reducing,
     reposeful, restful, roomy, snug, soft, softening, subduing,
     tempering, warm