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.
Working with a veteran like Hoffman, whom he called a "legend" of the screen, however, helped put him at ease.
From Barron's
But Sir David arrived, introduced himself and quickly put him at ease.
From BBC
Under one of them, she manages a movie theater in postwar Lyon and is financially at ease, but remains traumatized by her wartime experiences.
Speaking to the BBC, Buckle praised the staff and said: "They were amazing... everybody was so professional and they really did put me at ease."
From BBC
Barnes says he's "completely at ease" with his own cancer and supports assisted dying, although "that's not related to my cancer".
From BBC
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.
