lax C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /læks/ UK /læks/ See IPA manual Minimal pairs Sounds like lex /ɛ/ vs /æ/ Sounds like lox /æ/ vs /ɑ/ Meanings 1 adj not strict or careful enough; slack Security at the warehouse had grown dangerously lax. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · not strict or careful... slacknegligentcarelessremisslooselenientrelaxed ↔ Opposites strictrigorousstringenttightcareful Word family Forms laxly Derived forms laxlylaxnesslaxity Related forms relaxlaxativerelaxation Etymology AI details From Latin laxus ('loose, slack, wide'), from the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)leg- ('to be slack, languid'). laxus Latin *sleg- Proto-Indo-European View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # lax **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /læks/ **IPA (UK):** /læks/ ## Meanings 1. not strict or careful enough; slack ## Examples - Security at the warehouse had grown dangerously lax. ## Synonyms - slack - negligent - careless - remiss - loose - lenient - relaxed ## Antonyms - strict - rigorous - stringent - tight - careful ## Derived Forms - laxly - laxness - laxity ## Related Forms - relax - laxative - relaxation ## Roots and Affixes - Root: laxus - Root: *sleg- ## Etymology From Latin laxus ('loose, slack, wide'), from the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)leg- ('to be slack, languid'). ## AI Etymology Lax is from Latin laxus ('loose, slack, wide'), from the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)leg- ('to be slack, languid'). In present-day use, it means not strict or careful enough; slack. Derived formations include laxly, laxness, and laxity. Related vocabulary includes relax, laxative, and relaxation. ## Topics - Describing Qualities markdown