緩める · ichidan verb
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 緩める | 緩めない |
| Polite | 緩めます | 緩めません |
| Past polite | 緩めました | 緩めませんでした |
| Past | 緩めた | 緩めなかった |
| Te-form | 緩めて | 緩めないで |
| Desire | 緩めたい | 緩めたくない |
| Potential | 緩められるalso 緩めれる | 緩められないalso 緩めれない |
| Passive | 緩められる | 緩められない |
| Causative | 緩めさせる | 緩めさせない |
| Causative passive | 緩めさせられる | 緩めさせられない |
| Volitional | 緩めよう | |
| Polite volitional | 緩めましょう | |
| Imperative | 緩めろ | 緩めるな |
| Conditional | 緩めれば | 緩めなければ |
| Tara conditional | 緩めたら | 緩めなかったら |
ichidan verb, transitive verb
Physical loosening: making something less tight, such as a rope, belt, or screw. Antonym: 締める (to tighten).
Antonyms: 締める
ネクタイを緩める。
I loosen my necktie.
The screw is loose, so I loosen it to adjust.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
relax (attention, guard); let down (one's guard); ease (tension)
Metaphorical loosening: relaxing one's focus, vigilance, or mental tension. Often used with 気を緩める or 警戒を緩める.
After the exam, I let my guard down.
They continued patrolling without relaxing their vigilance.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
relax (a rule); ease (restrictions); loosen (control)
Used for making regulations, conditions, or control less strict. Common with 規制, 制限, 条件, etc.
The government plans to ease import restrictions.
They relaxed the conditions so that more people could participate.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
reduce (speed); slow down; ease up
Specifically for decreasing speed or pace. Often used with スピード, 速度, or ペース.
I slowed down before the curve.
Let's ease up on the work pace a little.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
make more gradual (slope)
Used for making a slope gentler or less steep. Common in engineering or landscaping contexts with 勾配 or 傾斜.
They made the slope more gradual so that it's easier to climb by bicycle.
I loosened the screw with a tool.
The criminal let his guard down and relaxed his vigilance.
The government is considering easing import regulations.
He slowed his pace in the second half of the marathon.
Construction was done to make the road's slope more gradual.
緩める means to loosen something that is tight, like a screw or belt, whereas ほぐす focuses on working out tangles or relieving stiffness.
緩める means to loosen or relax something such as a grip or a rule, while 解きほぐす specifically evokes untangling or easing something that was tightly knotted or tense.
緩める means to loosen or relax a part of the body, the opposite of 凝らす's sense of making a body part stiff and tense.