Library / English Dictionary

LET LOOSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words)

Example:

He uttered strange sounds that nobody could understand

Synonyms:

emit; let loose; let out; utter

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "let loose"):

groan; moan (indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure)

growl; grumble; rumble (to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds)

howl; wrawl; yammer; yowl (cry loudly, as of animals)

bark (make barking sounds)

baa; blat; blate; bleat (cry plaintively)

bellow; roar (make a loud noise, as of animal)

cheep; chirp; chirrup; peep (make high-pitched sounds)

churr; whirr (make a vibrant sound, as of some birds)

chirr (make a vibrant noise, of grasshoppers or cicadas)

meow; mew (cry like a cat)

quack (utter quacking noises)

hoot (utter the characteristic sound of owls)

cronk; honk (cry like a goose)

hiss; sibilate; siss; sizz (make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval)

sibilate (utter a sibilant)

bray; hee-haw (braying characteristic of donkeys)

oink; squeal (utter a high-pitched cry, characteristic of pigs)

clack; click; cluck (make a clucking sounds, characteristic of hens)

low; moo (make a low noise, characteristic of bovines)

cackle (squawk shrilly and loudly, characteristic of hens)

gobble (make a gurgling sound, characteristic of turkeys)

neigh; nicker; whicker; whinny (make a characteristic sound, of a horse)

gargle (utter with gargling or burbling sounds)

caw (utter a cry, characteristic of crows, rooks, or ravens)

mew (utter a high-pitched cry, as of seagulls)

haw (utter 'haw')

hem (utter 'hem' or 'ahem')

croak; cronk (utter a hoarse sound, like a raven)

sing (to make melodious sounds)

smack (press (the lips) together and open (the lips) noisily, as in eating)

give (emit or utter)

call (utter in a loud voice or announce)

gibber (chatter inarticulately; of monkeys)

crow (express pleasure verbally)

crow (utter shrill sounds)

trumpet (utter in trumpet-like sounds)

coo (cry softly, as of pigeons)

call; cry; holler; hollo; scream; shout; shout out; squall; yell (utter a sudden loud cry)

miaou; miaow (make a cat-like sound)

tsk; tut; tut-tut (utter 'tsk,' 'tut,' or 'tut-tut,' as in disapproval)

echo; repeat (to say again or imitate)

call (utter a characteristic note or cry)

shoot (utter fast and forcefully)

gurgle (utter with a gurgling sound)

cry (utter a characteristic sound)

nasale (speak in a nasal voice)

bite out (utter)

sigh (utter with a sigh)

troat (emit a cry intended to attract other animals; used especially of animals at rutting time)

lift (make audible)

pant (utter while panting, as if out of breath)

volley (utter rapidly)

break into (express or utter spontaneously)

heave (utter a sound, as with obvious effort)

chorus (utter in unison)

splutter; sputter (utter with a spitting sound, as if in a rage)

deliver (utter (an exclamation, noise, etc.))

hoot (to utter a loud clamorous shout)

grunt (issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise)

wolf-whistle (whistle or howl approvingly at a female, of males)

snort (indicate contempt by breathing noisily and forcefully through the nose)

spit; spit out (utter with anger or contempt)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Turn loose or free from restraint

Example:

Loose terrible plagues upon humanity

Synonyms:

let loose; loose; unleash

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "let loose" is one way to...):

let go; let go of; release; relinquish (release, as from one's grip)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

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