loosen vs loosening

loosen is not a noun while loosening is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
loosen	No	No	Yes	No
loosening	Yes	No	No	No

loosen (noun)	loosening (noun)
	the act of making something less tight
	an occurrence of control or strength weakening

loosen (verb)	loosening (verb)
become loose or looser or less tight
make loose or looser
make less dense
disentangle and raise the fibers of
cause to become loose
become less severe or strict
make less severe or strict