What does détendre in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word détendre in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use détendre in French.

The word détendre in French means relax, calm, thaw, relax, soothe, untighten, loosen, become slack, relax, unwind, relax, unwind, thin. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word détendre

relax, calm, thaw

verbe transitif (mettre fin à une tension)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
L'arrivée des enfants a détendu l'atmosphère.
The children's arrival calmed the atmosphere.

relax, soothe

verbe transitif (décontracter, délasser)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Ces promenades à la campagne me détendent.
These walks in the country relax me.

untighten, loosen

verbe transitif (soumettre à une pression moindre)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Il faut détendre les ressorts de la porte.
The door springs need to be loosened.

become slack

verbe pronominal (se relâcher)

Il faut remettre la courroie qui s'est détendue.
The belt needs to be tightened as it has become slack.

relax, unwind

verbe pronominal (se décontracter, se distraire)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Après une journée de travail, il est bon de se détendre.
After a day at work it is good to unwind.

relax, unwind

verbe pronominal (relâcher ses muscles)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Détendez-vous, respirez profondément, voilà c'est fait.
Relax, breathe deeply, and there you have it.

thin

verbe transitif (Cuisine : fluidifier) (Cookery)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Elle a détendu sa soupe en y ajoutant du lait.
She thinned her soup by adding milk.

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French (le français) is a Romance language. Like Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, it comes from popular Latin, once used in the Roman Empire. A French-speaking person or country can be called a "Francophone". French is the official language in 29 countries. French is the fourth most spoken native language in the European Union. French ranks third in the EU, after English and German, and is the second most widely taught language after English. The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa, with about 141 million Africans from 34 countries and territories who can speak French as a first or second language. French is the second most widely spoken language in Canada, after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. It is the first language of 9.5 million people or 29% and the second language of 2.07 million people or 6% of the entire population of Canada. In contrast to other continents, French has no popularity in Asia. Currently, no country in Asia recognizes French as an official language.