aflojar

to loosen

aflojar(ah-floh-hahr)

transitive verb

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.

(colloquial)

(to hand money over)

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

(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

(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.

intransitive verb

5. (to decrease)

a. to ease off (storm, rain, snow)

Llovió el día entero hasta que la tormenta por fin aflojó durante 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 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

reflexive verb

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.

pronominal verb

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.

(colloquial)

(medicine)

(Latin America)

a. to get diarrhea

(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

(colloquial)

Comí demasiadas ciruelas, y se me aflojó la panza.

I ate too many prunes and got the runs.