An Americanism dating back to 1900–05
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“And then when she did prove something, it was never good enough. … That’s a dangerous thing. Everybody’s been taught the same way: ‘If I do this, it’s going to be easy street.’
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 17, 2023
“When life looks like easy street, there’s danger at your door,” Walton said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2021
McConaughey tires of livin on easy street: “I needed some yellow lights.”
From The Guardian ● Oct. 26, 2020
In footage from a press conference with Lee, Smith jokes about having made it to easy street.
From The Verge ● Oct. 22, 2019
Well, jeez, maybe she is sick, but it’s no easy street for me either, being here and taking this guff.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
CAREFREE, Ariz. — Elizabeth H. paused recently outside the post office in this small, high-desert community, not far from where Easy Street meets Nonchalant Avenue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2026
The joke is that Victoria has no clue that her long run on Easy Street is about to hit a dead end.
From Salon ● Mar. 24, 2025
To celebrate the release of his new album, “BEN,” Macklemore returned to some of his old stomping grounds, holding a record signing at Easy Street Records and rocking a sold-out Neumos gig back in March.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 2023
There was already a do-it-ourselves, support-our-own sentiment before the West Seattle Bridge went down — one Vaughan acutely felt when dozens of Easy Street merch orders came in daily early in the pandemic.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 18, 2022
"And that is dead right, me b'hoys," nodded Arthur Street, who was known at Yale as Easy Street, on account of his free-and-easy way.
From Frank Merriwell at Yale by Standish, Burt L.
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.
