A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).
1. (to make looser)
a. to loosen Aflojé el collar de mi perro porque le apretaba mucho el cuello.I loosened my dog's collar because it was much too tight around his neck.
b. to slacken Alan aflojó las cuerdas de la tienda de campaña.Alan slackened the tent ropes.
c. to relax Los gimnastas aflojaron los músculos antes de comenzar su rutina.The gymnasts relaxed their muscles before starting their routine.
2. (to make less strict)
a. to relax Hay que aflojar las reglas para que puedan entrar más refugiados en el país.We need to relax the rules so that more refugees can enter the country.
3. A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g. skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
a. to part with Susana no aflojó ni un centavo para la fiesta de Halloween.Susana didn't part with a single cent for the Halloween party.
b. to fork out A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g. skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
Hemos aflojado grandes cantidades de dinero para salvar la tienda.We've forked out large sums of money to save our shop.
c. to cough up A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g. skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
Ojalá que el banco afloje el dinero para mi crédito.Let's hope the bank coughs up the money for my loan.
4. (to reduce speed of)
a. to slow down Lucía aflojó el paso en los últimos kilómetros de la carrera.Lucia slowed down her pace in the last few kilometers of the race.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g. The man sneezed.).
5. (to decrease)
a. to ease off (storm, rain, snow)Llovió el día entero hasta que la tormenta por fin aflojó en la noche.It rained all day until the storm finally eased off in the night.
b. to let up (heat)Si no afloja el calor, juro que nos vamos a deshidratar.If the heat doesn't let up, I swear we'll become dehydrated.
c. to drop (temperature)Cuando bajó el sol, la temperatura aflojó.When the sun set, the temperature dropped.
d. to come down (fever or temperature)Espero que la temperatura de mi hijo afloje rápidamente después de tomar la medicina.Hopefully my son's temperature will come down quickly after taking the medicine.
e. to die down (wind)Voy a esperar a que el viento se afloje para sentarme a leer afuera.I'm going to wait for the wind to die down before I go outside to read.
6. (to give way)
a. to give in No aflojes ante las críticas y sigue adelante.Don't give in to criticism; just keep on with what you're doing.
aflojarse
A reflexive verb is a verb that indicates that the subject performs an action on itself (e.g. Miguel se lava.).
7. (to make looser)
a. to loosen Apenas aterrizó el avión, los pasajeros se aflojaron los cinturones.As soon as the plane landed, the passengers loosened their seat belts.
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g. Te ves cansado.).
8. (to come partly undone)
a. to come loose Se aflojó un tornillo de mis lentes.A screw came loose on my glasses.
b. to work loose ¿Podrías apretar los tornillos de la repisa que se aflojaron?Could you tighten the screws on that shelf? The've worked loose.
c. to slacken El nudo no se afloja y no lo puedo deshacer.The knot won't slacken, so I can't untie it.
9. A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g. skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
(Latin America)
a. to get diarrhea Regionalism used in the United States
(United States)
Juan comió algo que estaba malo y se le aflojó el estómago.Juan ate something bad and got diarrhea.
b. to get diarrhoea (United Kingdom)Cuando me pongo nerviosa, se me afloja el vientre.When I'm nervous, I get diarrhoea.
c. to get the runs A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g. skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
Comí demasiadas ciruelas y se me aflojó la panza.I ate too many prunes and got the runs.
aflojar
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g. The man sneezed.).
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g. Te ves cansado.).
aflojar
transitive verb
1 (dejar suelto) [+corbata, cinturón, nudo] to loosen; [+tuerca, rosca] to slacken; loosen; [+disciplina, restricción, política, presión] to relax proponen aflojar la disciplina monetaria
se sentó y se aflojó (el nudo de) la corbata he sat down and loosened (the knot in) his tie
comí tanto que tuve que aflojarme el cinturón
2 (relajar) [+cuerda] to slacken; [+músculo] to relax 3 (ralentizar) caminamos sin aflojar el paso o la marcha o el ritmo we walked without slackening our pace o without slowing down; nuevas medidas para aflojar la marcha de la economía new measures to slow down the economy
nos mandaba aflojar el ritmo para no perder a los demás
5 [+dinero] to fork out (familiar); cough up (familiar) intransitive verb
1 (Meteorología) [+viento] to drop; [+lluvia] to ease off -¿llueve todavía? - sí, pero ya parece que afloja
[+calor] to let up el calor no afloja ni por la noche en agosto
2 [+fiebre] to subside; [+tensión] to ease; subside 3 [+ventas] to tail off el negocio afloja en agosto business slows down o eases up in August
cuando el negocio afloja gastan menos en publicidad
4 (al andar, correr, competir) to ease up; let up el ciclista aflojó en la subida y perdió afloja un poco, que no puedo seguir tu ritmo
no aflojó hasta conseguir la victoria he did not ease up o let up until he won
exige tus derechos y no aflojes
pronominal verb
aflojarse1 [+algo apretado, cinturón, corbata] to loosen; [+nudo, tuerca, rosca] to come o work loose 2 [+algo tenso, cuerda] to slacken se aflojó la cuerda y él se desplomó
3 [+fiebre, interés] to subside 4 (Caribe) (ensuciarse) to shit o.s. (vulgar) Word Roots
Hover on a tile to learn new words with the same root.
Phrases with "aflojar"
Here are the most popular phrases with "aflojar." Click the phrases to see the full entry.
Verb Conjugations for aflojar
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