lax

/læks/ (bre, ipa) · /læks/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlaks/ (ame, mw)

lax — adjective

  • laxpositive
  • laxercomparative
  • laxestsuperlative

1. not showing enough care or effort when carrying out a task or responsibility, es

1.形容詞B2
釋義

not showing enough care or effort when carrying out a task or responsibility, especially where rules or standards should be maintained.

例句

Rosa's son worried she was becoming lax about taking her heart medication every morning.

be lax about + gerund

Jing admitted she had been lax in backing up her computer files and lost a semester of work.

be lax in + gerund

同義詞
  • careless

    broader, can apply to any lack of attention; 'lax' often implies a failure to uphold expected standards

  • slack

    more informal; often used for effort or speed rather than rules

  • negligent

    more formal and serious; often used in legal or professional contexts

反義詞
  • careful

    showing attention to detail and duty

  • diligent

    working hard and with care

文法句型

be lax about/about + noun/about + gerund

be lax in + noun/in + gerund

用法筆記

Often followed by 'about' or 'in' to specify the area of carelessness. 'Lax about' is more common with actions or habits; 'lax in' is more common with formal duties or roles.

常見錯誤

❌I feel very lax after my holiday.
✅I feel very relaxed after my holiday.
💡'lax' describes insufficient strictness, not a feeling of calm or comfort.

2. not strict or severe enough to achieve the desired effect, especially about rule

2.形容詞B2
釋義

not strict or severe enough to achieve the desired effect, especially about rules, laws, punishments, or organisational standards.

例句

Consumer groups say safety standards for children's toys are far too lax in this country.

too lax — intensifier before lax

Nadia admitted the school's anti-bullying policy was too lax after several incidents were ignored.

同義詞
  • lenient

    often implies deliberate mercy; 'lax' implies a failure to maintain proper rigour

  • permissive

    suggests allowing a lot without objection; common in parenting and education contexts

  • easygoing

    positive or neutral tone; describes a person's nature, not rules

反義詞
  • strict

    enforcing rules firmly

  • stringent

    very strict and precise; often about laws or regulations

文法句型

be too lax

lax + noun (rules/standards/laws)

用法筆記

Commonly modified by 'too' or 'far too' to express criticism. Frequently describes rules (lax rules), standards (lax standards), laws (lax laws), or penalties (lax punishment).

常見錯誤

❌The punishment was very relaxed.
✅The punishment was very lax.
💡'relaxed' is positive (calm, comfortable); 'lax' is critical (not strict enough).

3. physically loose, slack, or not pulled tight — used for ropes, strings, fabric,

3.形容詞C1
釋義

physically loose, slack, or not pulled tight — used for ropes, strings, fabric, muscles, or skin that has lost its firmness.

例句

The rope securing the sailboat had gone completely lax during the night storm.

lax — for ropes/cords that have loosened

Ana checked that the guitar strings were not too lax before the outdoor concert began.

同義詞
  • slack

    more common in everyday speech for ropes, cables, and fabric

  • loose

    broader and more general; can apply to any object that is not firmly fixed

反義詞
  • tight

    pulled firmly; not loose

  • taut

    stretched or pulled tight; used for ropes, muscles, or skin

文法句型

be/grow/become/come lax

lax + noun (fibre/muscle/rope)

用法筆記

This physical sense is less common than the abstract senses. 'Slack' is a more frequent everyday synonym for ropes and cables. 'Lax' in this sense is more formal or technical.

常見錯誤

❌The rope is too lax, so I will cut it.
✅The rope is too slack, so I will tighten it.
💡'slack' is the ordinary word for a loose rope; 'lax' sounds overly formal in this context.

4. relating to a vowel sound produced with the tongue and throat muscles in a relat

4.形容詞C2
釋義

relating to a vowel sound produced with the tongue and throat muscles in a relatively relaxed state, as opposed to a tense vowel.

例句

During a phonetics workshop at City College, the instructor asked Yuki to compare the short vowel in 'bit' — a lax vowel — with the long one in 'beat'.

lax vowel / tense vowel — contrastive pair

The English teacher showed the class how to feel the difference by placing a finger on their throat — the lax vowel /ɪ/ vibrated less than the tense /iː/.

反義詞
  • tense

    produced with the tongue and throat muscles more firmly tensed; e.g. /iː/ in 'see'

文法句型

lax + noun (vowel/sound)

用法筆記

Exclusively a technical term in phonetics and linguistics. The most common contrast in textbooks is between /ɪ/ (lax, as in 'sit') and /iː/ (tense, as in 'seat').

lax — noun