at ease
Idioms-
Also, at one's ease . Comfortable, relaxed, unembarrassed, as in I always feel at ease in my grandmother's house . The related idiom put at ease means “make comfortable, reassure,” as in I was worried that the letter would not arrive in time, but the postmaster put me at ease . [1300s] For the antonym, see ill at ease .
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In a relaxed position in military ranks. The phrase is often used as a command for troops standing at attention to relax, as in At ease, squadron . The command stand at ease is slightly different. A British military dictionary of 1802 described it as standing with the right foot drawn back about six inches and one's weight put on it. An American version is to stand with one's feet slightly apart and the hands clasped behind one's back.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At ease both on the wing and further back in midfield, Doue has bounced back from an uncertain start to life in the capital.
From BBC • Mar. 5, 2025
At ease in blue jacket and white shirt with open collar, he gestured to his wife Elizabeth’s pregnant belly and declared: “You see, this is number three! Number three! Yeah!”
From The Guardian • Oct. 20, 2018
At ease, the supervisor comes aboard to praise Ng for running exactly on time.
From Seattle Times • May 1, 2018
At ease standing before the class, he tells stories about his early days in Dallas, pausing only when a hand is raised.
From Washington Times • Apr. 2, 2018
At ease has graduated to a full-on sense of well-being.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
