I want a massage. I need to relax.
Source: tatoeba (2091)
Relax
/ɹɪˈlæks/
Synonyms for "relax" (282 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (57)
Strong matches (84)
diffusediminishdiscountdisjoindispersedisregarddivertdraw reindrown careeaseease offease upenlivenentertainexhilaratefeel at homefeel easyfluffforbearforgive
Show 41 more words
fracturefracture onefreegentleget organizedgivegive quartergive waygranthave a ballhave funhave mercy uponhave pityhold backhold in checkhold upidleimpedekeep backkillkill timekneadknock deadlaugh it uplaxlaxatelessenlet downlet golet uplet up onlift temporarilylimberlimber uplive it uplooseloosenloosen uplose groundlose momentumlose speed
Noun(8 words)
Verb(15 words)
Related words (141)
Verb(30 words)
Noun(12 words)
loungemellowingrecreatingrestingresting capacityslackeningslackssoftening adjectiveunbendingunfetteringunwindingvacationing
makemake allowance formashmassagemellowmeltmildenmitigatemoderatemodifymodulatemollifynapobstructpardonplumpprovide forpulpquiet downraise a laugh
Show 76 more words
raise a smilerecreatereducereefrefreshregalereinrein inrelax the conditionreleaserelentrelieveremitreprieverestretardscatterset asideset backsettleshake upsimmer downslackslack offslack upslackenslakeslaysleepslowslow downslow upsmashsober downsoftensoften upsolacesparesquashstand easystaystoopsubduesubmitsuppletake account oftake in sailtake into accounttake into considerationtake it easytake pity ontake with a grain of salttempertenderizethawthrottlethrottle downtickletitillatetone downtune downunbendunbraceunglueunlaxunleashunstickunstrainunstringuntightenunwindwaiveweakenwhile away the timewowyield
Adjective(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: loosen, unwind, abate, admit, admit exceptions.
- Sentence evidence is available for relax, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "relax".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "relax"
Keep "relax" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "relax" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "relax", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "relax" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
24 entriesShowing 16 of 24 words.
More specific
8 entriesCollocations
12 entriesrelax a bitrelax and breatherelax and enjoyrelax and listenrelax dress coderelax expectationsrelax for nowrelax griprelax musclesrelax rulesrelax tensionrelax your shoulders
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
1 entriesTranslations
62 translations across 24 languages.
Arabic
3 entries- اِسْتَرْخَى verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- طْلق verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- هِدي verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
Bulgarian
3 entries- отпускам verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- разхлабвам verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- смекчавам verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
Catalan
3 entries- afluixar verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- relaxar verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- relaxar verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
Chinese Mandarin
4 entries- 放鬆 /放松 verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- 緩和 /缓和 verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- 緩解 /缓解 verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- 鬆開 /松开 verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
Czech
1 entries- uvolnit verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
Dutch
2 entries- losmaken verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- ontspannen verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
Finnish
4 entries- höllentää verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- löyhentää verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- löysentää verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- löysätä verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
French
1 entries- relâcher verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
Galician
1 entries- relaxar verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
German
4 entries- entspannen verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- entspannen verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- lockern verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- lockern verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
Ido
1 entries- laxigar verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
Japanese
4 entries- くつろがせる verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- 和らげる verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- 緊張を解く verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- 落ち着かせる verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
Latin
1 entries- relaxō verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
Māori
3 entries- whakakorokoro verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- whakangoru verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- whakatangatanga verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
Norwegian
1 entries- slappe av verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
Polish
4 entries- poluzować verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- poluzować verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- rozluźnić verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- rozluźnić verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
Portuguese
3 entries- afrouxar verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- relaxar verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- soltar verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
Romanian
4 entries- desface verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- destinde verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- relaxa verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- relaxa verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
Russian
4 entries- осла́бить verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- ослабля́ть verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- распуска́ть verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
- распусти́ть verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
Spanish
3 entries- aflojar verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- relajar verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- relajar verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
Thai
1 entries- ผ่อนคลาย verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
Ukrainian
1 entries- послабля́ти verb ((transitive) to make something less severe or tense)
Walloon
3 entries- distinkyî verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- laispi verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
- låtchî verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
Welsh
1 entries- llacio verb ((transitive) to make something loose)
Sample sentences
22 total sentences available.
Relax, and above all, don't panic.
Source: tatoeba (20368)
Hopefully you can rest and relax on the flight home.
Source: tatoeba (20445)
Drawing is a lot of fun; it helps me to relax.
Source: tatoeba (22069)
Showing 4 of 22 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "relax"?
Closest matches include loosen, unwind, abate, admit, admit exceptions.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "relax"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.