Meaning & use
lax
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Meanings
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Paying too little attention to rules or standards, so that things are done carelessly or are not properly enforced.
Grammar: Often placed after a verb or before a noun: security was lax; lax rules.
Patterns
- lax about something
- lax in doing something
Airport security was surprisingly lax that day.
The teacher was lax about homework deadlines.
Lax enforcement of the law let the problem grow.
adjectivecomparabletechnical
Loose and not firm, as when a muscle or a rope is not held tight.
Grammar: Describes physical things that are slack: a lax grip.
His grip on the rope grew lax as he tired.
The patient's muscles were lax after the anesthetic.
A lax string will not produce a clear note.
Word forms
| comparative | laxer |
|---|---|
| superlative | laxest |
Common combinations
- lax security
- Lax security allowed the thieves to walk straight in.
- lax attitude
- His lax attitude to time-keeping annoyed his colleagues.
- lax discipline
- Lax discipline at the school led to constant disruption.
- lax standards
- The inspector criticized the factory for lax safety standards.
- become lax
- Don't become lax about backing up your files.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lenient
- Lenient describes a person who chooses to be mild when punishing, while lax suggests a failure to take rules seriously.
- careless
- Careless focuses on lack of attention in a single task, while lax describes a general habit of loose standards.
- slack
- Slack is more informal and can also describe loose rope or quiet business, whereas lax mostly criticizes behavior or rules.
Opposites
Word family
- laxity noun
- the quality of being lax
- laxly adverb
- in a careless or loose way
- laxness noun
- carelessness about rules
Commonly confused: lax or lacks?
lax vs lacks
Lacks is a verb meaning is without something, as in 'he lacks confidence'. It sounds the same as lax in some accents but is a different word.
Practice
The bank was fined because its checks on new customers were far too ____.
Choose one answer.
Lax means not careful enough, which fits a fine. Strict, thorough and rigid describe careful checks and would not explain a penalty.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lax”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.