English Help Online's Blog

Last week, I wrote about the adjective “uptight”, so this week I’d like to write about its opposite “laid-back”. This word is used to describe a person who is very relaxed and flexible about things like rules. For example:

I was late for work this morning, but my boss is really laid-back so he didn’t care.

My parents are really laid-back when it comes to the guys I date. I had a boyfriend once who had many tattoos, but it didn’t bother them.

I used to be really uptight when I was younger, but now I’m much more laid-back. I’ve learned not to take life so seriously.

A: Who’s more laid-back – your mother or your father?

B: My dad is way more laid-back than my mom! She used to scold me all the time, but he almost never did.

The word “laid-back” is a little bit casual. If you want a slightly more formal word, you can use “relaxed”.