How to say "loosen" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 緩めるゆるめるichidan verb, transitive verbThe default transitive verb: you loosen something — a screw, a belt, a grip, a rule — making it less tight or less strict. Use this when someone actively loosens a thing.
- godan verb, intransitive verbIntransitive: something becomes slack or loose by itself — a rope, muscles, or skin that sags and grows flabby; also used when effort, tension, or attention slackens.
- godan verb, transitive verbCovers 'loosen' only in the sense of undoing something tied, fastened, or laced — a knot, laces, a fastening. It is not the word for making something generally less tight; think 'untie' or 'undo'.
- godan verb, transitive verbFor loosening things that are tangled, knotted, or clumped together: disentangling hair or thread, or working out stiffness and knots in the body. Its 'loosen' sense is this untangling, kneading kind.
Use 「緩める」 to loosen something you make less tight, 「たるむ」 when something becomes slack on its own, 「ほどく」 to untie or undo, and 「ほぐす」 to untangle or work loose what is knotted.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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