cause to feel relaxed; "A hot bath always relaxes me";
become less tense, rest, or take one''s ease; "He relaxed in the hot tub"; "Let''s all relax after a hard day''s work";
become loose or looser or less tight; "The noose loosened"; "the rope relaxed";
make less tight; "relax the tension on the rope";
make less active or fast; "He slackened his pace as he got tired"; "Don''t relax your efforts now";
become less severe or strict; "The rules relaxed after the new director arrived";
make less severe or strict; "The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught";
become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner; "our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group";