adverb
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with ease; without difficulty or exertion
-
by far; beyond question; undoubtedly
he is easily the best in the contest
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probably; almost certainly
he may easily come first
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of easily
First recorded in 1250–1300, easily is from the Middle English word esily. See easy, -ly
Explanation
Things that happen easily don't require a lot of effort. When your old car starts easily on a very cold morning, you'll breathe a sigh of relief. While you can only climb a mountain with difficulty, you can probably climb the stairs in your house easily. You can also use this adverb to mean something closer to "quickly," as when you describe your puppy as easily distracted with treats or yourself as easily bored by long books. The Old French root of easily is aisie, "comfortable" or "at ease."
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.
The cops are jaded and too easily steered toward the wrong suspects, moving the gentle citizen gumshoe to step in and offer her gifted expertise.
From Salon • Jun. 16, 2026
Stocks that have rocketed higher on expectations of huge spectrum sales could easily fall to Earth unless they seal the deal soon.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
The annual cost for a private room can easily exceed $140,000, depending on where you live.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026
Coming out of the pandemic, such workers were easily landing jobs while raking in enviable six-figure salaries, generous perks and lax remote-work rules.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
Though the thorns had scraped her wings, they were leathery and too tough to be easily pierced.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
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.
