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
Wardley, meanwhile, is entirely at ease with the limelight and happy to trade lines.
From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026
Sharing a meal put people at ease, helped them forget the cameras, and inspired them to open up about their lives, he wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
Herold revealed that Thomas Jones had sent him to her, which put her mind at ease.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
