Copy word

Thai

คลาย

Pronunciation

khlaay

คลาย

khlaay

loosen

Native recording

Analyzing pitch…

  1. 1 loosen、become loose、untie、unwind、relax (muscles)
  2. 2 ease、relieve、lessen、reduce、mitigate、abate

คลาย is a verb for something tight, tense, or intense becoming looser or less severe. It can describe physical loosening as well as easing stress, pain, worry, or tension.

1

loosen、become loose、untie、unwind、relax (muscles)

Verb⭐️3 Common

This sense describes something physically tight, tied, tense, or stiff becoming loose, or someone making it loose.

Show more (1)
2

ease、relieve、lessen、reduce、mitigate、abate

Verb⭐️3 Common

This sense describes stress, pain, worry, tension, or severity easing or being relieved.

Show more (2)

Learning notes

Explanation

The core image of คลาย is a tight, tense, or intense state becoming looser or less severe. It can be intransitive, as in เชือกคลาย “the rope loosened,” or transitive, as in คลายเชือก “loosen the rope.” It also combines naturally with abstract nouns, such as คลายความกังวล “ease anxiety” and คลายเครียด “relieve stress.” คลายลง emphasizes a downward change: the tension, pain, or intensity is easing off.

Usage

You will hear this word when people talk about loosening belts or ropes, relaxing muscles, relieving stress or anxiety, easing pain, or reducing a tense atmosphere. It appears in everyday speech, health and massage contexts, exercise and stretching, emotional descriptions, and news about easing tensions.

Caution

คลาย usually means that something becomes less intense, not that it disappears completely. For pain or symptoms going away entirely, หาย may be more natural. Also, do not confuse คลาย with คล้าย, which means “to be similar.”

Differences from similar words

1 loosen synonyms

2 ease synonyms

  • ทุเลา is often used when an illness, pain, or bad situation becomes less serious. คลาย is broader and works with pain, worry, tension, and atmosphere.

  • บรรเทา is a somewhat more formal word for alleviating symptoms, damage, or suffering. คลาย is more everyday and often suggests tension or pressure easing.

  • ลดลง simply means to decrease or go down in amount or degree. คลาย adds the idea of pressure, tension, or discomfort easing.

Component words

Share or cite this page

You are welcome to link to this page from blogs, social media, articles, and other materials. Quotations are welcome, too.

Send feedback

Let us know about errors, anything that seems unclear, or suggested corrections.

Content production and review

Thai content last reviewed

The Thai meaning, naturalness, examples, and pronunciation in this entry have been reviewed by a native Thai editor. We always welcome reports of errors and suggested corrections through the link above.

See our editorial and English localization process