verb · informal
unwind
/ʌnˈwaɪnd/un·WIND
Band 7+speakingtask2
to relax and relieve stress after a period of tension
Examples
“I like to unwind with a cup of tea after work.”
“They spent the weekend unwinding by the lake.”
“To unwind properly, avoid checking emails in the evening.”
Band 8 sentence
“After negotiating for five hours I needed something low‑key to help me unwind rather than a noisy celebration.”
Collocations
- unwind after work
- unwind with a book
- need to unwind
Word family
unwind verbunwound verb (past)unwinding gerund / adjective
Common mistakes
"I need to unwind myself."→"I need to unwind."
"I unwound my phone last night."→"I unwound after work last night."
Say it for a higher band
5relax→6chill→7+unwind
Synonyms
relax
decompress
Easily confused
relax
“After a stressful week, I need some time to unwind.”
Related words
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In Free time & Hobbies
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