different between loose vs indifferent

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English loos, los, lous, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, whence also -less, leasing; from Proto-Indo-European *lewH-, *l?- (“to untie, set free, separate”), whence also lyo-, -lysis, via Ancient Greek.

Pronunciation

• enPR: lo?os, IPA^(key): /lu?s/
• Rhymes: -u?s

Verb

loose (third-person singular simple present looses, present participle loosing, simple past and past participle loosed)

1. (transitive) To let loose, to free from restraints.
2. (transitive) To unfasten, to loosen.
3. (transitive) To make less tight, to loosen.
4. (intransitive) Of a grip or hold, to let go.
5. (archery) To shoot (an arrow).
6. (obsolete) To set sail.
   • 1611: King James Bible, Acts 13:13

     Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

7. (obsolete) To solve; to interpret.

   • he had red her riddle, which no wight
     Could ever loose

Synonyms

• (let loose): free, release
• (unfasten): loosen, unbind, undo, unfasten, untie
• (make less tight): loosen, relax, slacken
• (of grip or hold): let go, release
• (archery): fire, shoot

Antonyms

• (let loose): bind, constrain
• (unfasten): bind, fasten, tie
• (make less tight): tighten
• (of grip or hold): tighten
• (archery): fast

Derived terms

• loose off

Translations

Adjective

loose (comparative looser, superlative loosest)

1. Not fixed in place tightly or firmly.

2. Not held or packaged together.

3. Not under control.
4. Not fitting closely

5. Not compact.
6. Relaxed.

7. Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate.
   • 1858, William Whewell, The history of scientific ideas

     The comparison employed […] must be considered rather as a loose analogy than as an exact scientific explanation.

8. Indiscreet.

9. (somewhat dated) Free from moral restraint; immoral, unchaste.
   • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, I:

     In all these he was much and deeply read; / But not a page of any thing that's loose, / Or hints continuation of the species, / Was ever suffer'd, lest he should grow vicious.
10. (not comparable, sports) Not being in the possession of any competing team during a game.
11. (dated) Not costive; having lax bowels.
12. (of volumes of materials) Measured loosely stacked or disorganized (such as of firewood).

    Coordinate terms: stacked, solid

Synonyms

• (not fixed in place tightly or firmly): unfastened, unsecured; see also Thesaurus:loose
• (not held or packaged together): separate, unpackaged
• (not bound or tethered or leashed): free, untethered
• (not fitting closely): baggy; see also Thesaurus:loose-fitting
• (not compact): diffuse, spaced out; see also Thesaurus:diffuse
• (relaxed): loose-limbed, relaxed; see also Thesaurus:carefree
• (indiscreet): indiscreet
• (promiscuous): polygamous, promiscuous, slutty, tarty, whorish; see also Thesaurus:promiscuous

Antonyms

• (not fixed in place tightly or firmly): firm, tight; see also Thesaurus:tight
• (not held or packaged together): packaged
• (not bound or tethered or leashed): bound, leashed, tethered, tied, tied up
• (not fitting closely): close-fitting, snug, tight; see also Thesaurus:close-fitting
• (not compact): compact, firm; see also Thesaurus:compact
• (relaxed): tense, tensed
• (indiscreet): discreet
• (promiscuous): faithful, monogamous

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

loose (plural looses)

1. (archery) The release of an arrow.
2. (obsolete) A state of laxity or indulgence; unrestrained freedom, abandonment.
3. (rugby) All play other than set pieces (scrums and line-outs).
   • 2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France [4]

     The defeat will leave manager Martin Johnson under pressure after his gamble of pairing Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood at 10 and 12 failed to ignite the England back line, while his forwards were repeatedly second best at the set-piece and in the loose.

4. Freedom from restraint.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Prior to this entry?)

   • Vent all its griefs, and give a loose to sorrow.

   • The doctor now interposed, and prevented the effects of a wrath which was kindling between Jones and Thwackum; after which the former gave a loose to mirth, sang two or three amorous songs, and fell into every frantic disorder which unbridled joy is apt to inspire […]

5. A letting go; discharge.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Ben Jonson to this entry?)

Derived terms

• give a loose

Interjection

loose

1. (archery) begin shooting; release your arrows

Antonyms

• (archery: begin shooting): fast

Translations

Related terms

• forlorn
• lyo-, ly-
• -lysis
• lysis

Etymology 2

Verb

loose

1. Misspelling of lose.

   I'm going to loose this game.

Derived terms

• looser

Anagrams

• oleos

French

Etymology

Hypercorrectively from English lose or from looseur.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /luz/

Noun

loose f (uncountable)

1. Great pettiness, shabbiness

English

Etymology

From Old French indifferent, from Latin indifferens.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?d?f.??nt/, /?n?d?f.?.??nt/
• Hyphenation: in?dif?fer?ent

Adjective

indifferent (comparative more indifferent, superlative most indifferent)

1. Not caring or concerned; uninterested, apathetic.
   • 1816, Jane Austen, Emma, Volume 2, Chapter 16,^[1]

     “I must not hope to be ever situated as you are, in the midst of every dearest connexion, and therefore I cannot expect that simply growing older should make me indifferent about letters.”

     “Indifferent! Oh! no—I never conceived you could become indifferent. Letters are no matter of indifference; they are generally a very positive curse.”

   • 1933, George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London, Chapter 3,^[2]

     When you have a hundred francs in the world you are liable to the most craven panics. When you have only three francs you are quite indifferent; for three francs will feed you till tomorrow, and you cannot think further than that. You are bored, but you are not afraid.

2. Indicating or reflecting a lack of concern or care.
   • 1886, Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Chapter 25,^[3]

     Donald appeared not to see her at all, and answered her wise little remarks with curtly indifferent monosyllables […]

   • 1990, J. M. Coetzee, Age of Iron, London: Secker & Warburg, p. 33,

     ‘Wonderful, Florence,’ I said, producing the ritual phrases: ‘I don’t know what I would do without you.’ But of course I do know. I would sink into the indifferent squalor of old age.

3. Mediocre (usually used negatively in modern usage).
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Dublin: John Smith, Volume 2, Book 10, Chapter 9, p. 275,^[4]

     When Mrs. Honour had made her Report from the Landlord, Sophia, with much Difficulty, procured some indifferent Horses, which brought her to the Inn, where Jones had been confined rather by the Misfortune of meeting with a Surgeon, than by having met with a broken Head.

   • 1826, Walter Scott, Woodstock, Edinburgh: Archibald Constable, Volume I, Chapter 3, p. 84,^[5]

     […] the state-rooms are unaired, and in indifferent order, since of late years.

   • 1965, Muriel Spark, The Mandelbaum Gate, Part 2, p. 252,^[6]

     Suddenly Barbara remembered the party where she had first met Ruth Gardnor with her husband. The night of the dinner party. And the cello: it had been an indifferent performance.

4. Having no preference or bias, being impartial.
   • 1713, Joseph Addison, Cato, a Tragedy, London: J. Tonson, Act V, Scene 1, p. 57,^[7]

     […] Let Guilt or Fear

     Disturb Man’s Rest: Cato knows neither of ’em,

     Indiff’rent in his Choice to sleep or die.

   • 1933, H. G. Wells, The Shape of Things to Come, Book 3, Part 7,^[8]

     The scientific worker aims at knowledge and is quite indifferent whether people like or dislike the knowledge he produces.

5. Not making a difference; without significance or importance.
   • c. 1599, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene 3,^[9]

     […] But I am arm’d,

     And dangers are to me indifferent.

   • 1650, Jeremy Taylor, “Of Contentedness” in The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living, 8th edition, London: Richard Royston, 1668, Chapter 2, Section 6, p. 118,^[10]

     […] every thing in the world is indifferent but sin.

   • 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, Boston: Ticknor, Reed & Fields, p. 162,^[11]

     His gestures, his gait, his grizzled beard, his slightest and most indifferent acts, the very fashion of his garments, were odious in the clergyman’s sight;

   • 1956, Mary Renault, The Last of the Wine, New York: Modern Library, Chapter 28, p. 374,^[12]

     We talked of indifferent things, and watched the juggler who was tossing torches in the Stadium, for twilight was falling.

6. (mechanics) Being in the state of neutral equilibrium.
7. (obsolete) Not different, matching.
   • c. 1593, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, Act IV, Scene 1,^[13]

     […] let their heads be sleekly comb’d, their blue coats brush’d and their garters of an indifferent knit

Related terms

• indifference
• indifferency (obsolete)
• indifferentism
• indifferently

Translations

Noun

indifferent (plural indifferents)

1. A person who is indifferent or apathetic.

Adverb

indifferent

1. (obsolete) To some extent, in some degree (intermediate between very and not at all); moderately, tolerably, fairly.

Usage notes

• Now obsolete, but very common c. 1600-1730.

References

• John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “indifferent”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN

Middle French

Adjective

indifferent m (feminine singular indifferente, masculine plural indifferents, feminine plural indifferentes)

1. indifferent; apathetic