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.
“It’s been a boon to me and it sets my mind at ease, and it gives me the freedom to do things like travel without concern,” said Klein, 67.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026
So far, she has looked at ease on the grass this year - evident as she moved past Ostapenko, who has won two titles on the surface, in straight sets with just six unforced errors.
From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026
But survivors say they feel more at ease with foreigners and volunteers than with their own government.
From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026
The firm still isn’t entirely at ease in the public eye.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026
Thinking of the dinner again—how artfully Mr. Marshall had put everyone at ease.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
