ease
Americannoun
-
freedom from labor, pain, or physical annoyance; tranquil rest; comfort.
to enjoy one's ease.
- Synonyms:
- effortlessness, contentment, repose
- Antonyms:
- effort, discomfort
-
freedom from concern, anxiety, or solicitude; a quiet state of mind.
to be at ease about one's health.
- Synonyms:
- peace, calmness, serenity, tranquility
- Antonyms:
- disturbance
-
freedom from difficulty or great effort; facility.
It can be done with ease.
-
freedom from financial need; plenty.
a life of ease on a moderate income.
-
freedom from stiffness, constraint, or formality; unaffectedness.
ease of manner;
the ease and elegance of her poetry.
- Synonyms:
- informality, naturalness
verb (used with object)
-
eases,
present (3rd person singular)
-
eased,
past participle, past
-
easing
present participle
-
to free from anxiety or care.
to ease one's mind.
- Synonyms:
- soothe, tranquilize, disburden, relieve, comfort
-
to mitigate, lighten, or lessen.
to ease pain.
-
to release from pressure, tension, or the like.
-
to move or shift with great care.
to ease a car into a narrow parking space.
-
to render less difficult; facilitate.
I'll help if it will ease your job.
-
to provide (an architectural member) with an easement.
-
Shipbuilding. to trim (a timber of a wooden hull) so as to fair its surface into the desired form of the hull.
-
Nautical.
-
to bring (the helm or rudder of a vessel) slowly amidships.
-
to bring the head of (a vessel) into the wind.
-
to slacken or lessen the hold upon (a rope).
-
to lessen the hold of (the brake of a windlass).
-
verb (used without object)
-
eases,
present (3rd person singular)
-
eased,
past participle, past
-
easing
present participle
-
to abate in severity, pressure, tension, etc. (often followed by off orup ).
-
to become less painful, burdensome, etc.
-
to move, shift, or be moved or be shifted with great care.
verb phrase
idioms
noun
-
freedom from discomfort, worry, or anxiety
-
lack of difficulty, labour, or awkwardness; facility
-
rest, leisure, or relaxation
-
freedom from poverty or financial embarrassment; affluence
a life of ease
-
lack of restraint, embarrassment, or stiffness
his ease of manner disarmed us
-
military
-
(of a standing soldier, etc) in a relaxed position with the feet apart and hands linked behind the back
-
a command to adopt such a position
-
in a relaxed attitude or frame of mind
-
verb
-
to make or become less burdensome
-
(tr) to relieve (a person) of worry or care; comfort
-
(tr) to make comfortable or give rest to
-
(tr) to make less difficult; facilitate
-
to move or cause to move into, out of, etc, with careful manipulation
to ease a car into a narrow space
-
to lessen or cause to lessen in severity, pressure, tension, or strain; slacken, loosen, or abate
-
archaic to urinate or defecate
-
nautical to relieve the pressure on the rudder of a vessel, esp by bringing the bow into the wind
Synonym Usage
Ease, comfort refer to a sense of relaxation or of well-being. Ease implies a relaxed condition with an absence of effort or pressure: a life of ease. Comfort suggests a sense of well-being, along with ease, which produces a quiet happiness and contentment: comfort in one's old age.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
easesimple
-
easessimple
-
have easedperfect
-
has easedperfect
-
am easingprogressive
-
are easingprogressive
-
is easingprogressive
-
have been easingperfect progressive
-
has been easingperfect progressive
Past
-
easedsimple
-
had easedperfect
-
was easingprogressive
-
were easingprogressive
-
had been easingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ease
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun ese, eise, from Anglo-French, Old French “comfort, convenience,” from Vulgar Latin adjaces (unrecorded) “vicinity,” the regular outcome of literary Latin adjacēns adjacent; verb ultimately derivative of the noun
Explanation
Ease means to lessen or release, often making something possible in the meantime. When you put someone at their ease, you lessen their discomfort. When you ease into a chair, you gently release yourself into it. A life of ease means you do not have to struggle to make money. Your dad might be mad if you pierce your nose, but eventually, with time, his anger will ease and he will ease up on you. Your older siblings' behavior will ease the way for you to do things that frighten your parents without their overreacting.
Vocabulary lists containing ease
Unit 1: Telling Details
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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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.
See Examples For:
Softer energy prices could temper inflation concerns and ease pressure on yields, providing some support to gold, Infinox’s Thadeu Dos Santos says in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Amid the demands for action, the governor of Baja California, Marina del Pilar Ávila, tried to ease public fears about the widespread violence in her state.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
“Verity” is no different, allowing Johnson to move her character between suspicion and warmth with languid ease as she settles into Verity’s Vermont home to work.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
The city was developing alternative pontoon crossings to help ease the gridlock, the mayor added.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Chase wasn’t sure what to expect, but his father looked perfectly at ease in front of the camera, as if he’d been on TV every day of his life.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
In practice, that means cooling demand elsewhere in the economy so the strain on supply eases.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
On worries over higher Treasury bond yields, closely monitored as a proxy for interest rates, the official said interest costs are expected to cool as inflation eases over time.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
“As capacity eases, which we anticipate, this company will be among the first and hardest hit,” she wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
"People have had more than enough uncertainty over the past year, and even a temporary pause eases the pressure a little."
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Careful not to rouse my mother, Prim eases herself from the bed, scoops up Buttercup, and sits beside me.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
U.S. stock futures rose as oil prices eased despite fresh attacks on Saudi Arabia, after U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Professor Vasilev noticed that eating peppermint leaves from his drink significantly eased his sore throat.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
Thunderstorms moved across the island on Friday, and while conditions have eased across Sicily, more are forecast across parts of the central Mediterranean.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
As people resumed gatherings and eased up on measures including masking and social distancing, the county saw upticks in flu cases in 2024 and 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Jonah eased the survivors list out of Chip’s hand and held it up.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Markets have priced in three total hikes, which would reverse the Fed’s three easing steps in late 2025.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
What if easing knee arthritis pain did not require another pill, an injection, or surgery, but simply changing how you walk?
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Bank of America expects exports in U.S. dollar terms to rise 24.5% from a year earlier, easing only slightly from August’s 25.0% increase.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele said the measures were aimed at easing pressure on households and businesses while avoiding a return to fuel subsidies.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
“They’re all barn swallows, except for one. One is a parrot,” Grandpop answered, easing back down into his chair.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
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.
