Loose

How to spell loose

5 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce loose

What does loose mean?

1. adjectiveNot firmly fixed in place, or not tight, secure, or closely fitted.

Loose in a sentence

• The screw on the handle is loose.

• She wears loose clothing in summer.

• There's a loose thread on your sleeve.

• The cat is on the loose in the neighbourhood.

• He has a loose tooth that needs to come out.

Where does loose come from?

Language of origin: Old Norse

This word comes from the Old Norse lauss, meaning 'free', 'loose', or 'untied', which Norse settlers brought into northern England during the Viking age. It is closely related to the Old English leas, meaning 'free from' or 'without', and to the modern word 'less', all tracing back to a Germanic root meaning to release or set free. Over the medieval period the spelling settled with the double 'o' to mark the long vowel sound, giving us 'loose' rhyming with 'goose'. The constant trap for adults is the verb 'lose' (rhyming with 'choose'), which has only one 'o' but the closely related meaning of letting something go; the two words drift together precisely because they share that ancient sense of release. Remembering that 'loose' rhymes with 'goose', and both keep the double 'o', is the surest way to keep them apart.

How the word is built

• Adjective.