let one's hair down

verb

To relax and enjoy oneself.

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Meanings

verblet one's hair down (third-person singular simple present lets one's hair down, present participle letting one's hair down, simple past and past participle let one's hair down)

present singular third person lets one's hair down · participle present letting one's hair down

  1. idiomaticTo relax and enjoy oneself.

    All week long I've been keepin' my cool / But tonight I'm gonna let my hair down / And get down with these down home blues

    1982, George Jackson, “Down Home Blues”, performed by Z. Z. Hill
    2 more examples

    Cut loose, let your hair down honey / Unwind, turn the lights down low / Relax, let's uncork the stopper / Come to papa, come on let's go

    1962, Roy Bennett, Sid Tepper, “Relax”, performed by Elvis Presley

    He should help himself before he tries to help someone else. If he's afraid someone will know him he should move to a new residence and let his hair down and join us swingers.

    1981 February 14, Richard Credill, “Take Him By The Hand”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 29, page 5
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see let, one's, hair, down.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
let it all hang out
Cite this entry
APA

let one's hair down. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/let%20one's%20hair%20down

MLA

“let one's hair down.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/let%20one's%20hair%20down. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “let one's hair down,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/let%20one's%20hair%20down.

Source: let one's hair down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.