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lax.

Adjective/læks/; rhymes with tax; one syllablelax; one syllable; x represents /ks/; laxer, laxest
General
MEANING

1. Not sufficiently strict, careful, or attentive in maintaining rules, standards, or responsibilities.

2. Loose or slack rather than firm, tightly stretched, or closely held together.

3. Of a speech sound, produced with relatively relaxed articulation compared with a corresponding tense sound.

Use it for

describing weak security checks; criticizing poorly enforced rules; showing someone neglecting a responsibility; describing careless attention to standards; explaining that supervision is not strict enoughDistinguishes insufficient care or control from physical slackness, with clearly labeled specialist and informal uses. Writing functions: Carelessness / Weak Control / Physical Looseness.

Words that belong together

  • lax security
  • lax supervision
  • lax enforcement
  • lax standards
  • lax about deadlines

On the page

Lax checks allowed visitors to enter the archive without signing in.
She had been lax about recording expenses and could no longer explain the missing receipts.
The review blamed lax enforcement rather than a lack of clear rules.
The rope hung lax between the two posts.
His grip grew lax as he drifted into sleep.

Nearby words

slack — similar lack of due carecareless — broader lack of attentionlenient — emphasizes mildnessnot necessarily negligence

Opposite meanings

strict — for rules or disciplinevigilant — for watchfulnessrigorous — for standards or checking

Related words

laxly — adverblaxity and laxness — nounsslack — near-synonymlenient — mild rather than necessarily carelesslacrosse — full form of the informal sports noun
Word forms
Base
lax

Usage notes

Adjective: lax; comparative laxer or more lax; superlative laxest or most lax, where a degree comparison makes sense. Usable before a noun or after a linking verb. Patterns: lax security; lax in enforcing rules; lax about deadlines. Phonetics uses lax as a category label rather than a routine degree comparison. The US informal sports noun lax is normally uncountable. No verb forms apply to this entry. Laxly is the related adverb; laxity and laxness are related nouns. Register: neutral. Commonness: common in the main carelessness sense; physical uses less common; phonetics specialized; sports noun US informal; bowel use uncommon (dictionary-informed qualitative editorial estimate; not a measured frequency).

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