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.
Investors won’t likely feel at ease just yet.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
My mind is at ease, just a little bit.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
Sides said Swift, who sang in and directed the video, put everyone at ease during filming and thanked dancers for their time.
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026
This former high school basketball phenom isn’t far removed from trying to beat App State in overtime, and he seems utterly at ease leading men into the NFL’s biggest game.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
I’d never seen her so at ease and uninhibited before.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
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.
