266 The AMA Handbook of Business Writing Lonely, Alone See Alone, Lonely. Longitude, Latitude See Latitude, Longitude. Loose, Lose Loose is a verb that means to allow to run free and an adjective that means not tight. Loose is pronounced with an s sound. Example: My neighbors loosed [verb] their dogs in the neighborhood. Example: He wore a loose [adjective] kerchief around his neck.