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.
That she looked so at ease on debut in Chester-le-Street, while able to admit she could have bowled better, was a major boost to Edwards, who has long talked up the spinner's talents.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
Kelly looked a little ill at ease to be out from behind the desk where she records her daily political commentary program, The Megyn Kelly Show.
From Slate • May 6, 2026
That direct comparison with the dot-com bubble peak probably won’t help to put investors’ minds at ease, Krinsky told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026
Reading between the lines of Lewis’s journal, I get the sense that he was most at ease when he was observing nature.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
He puts me at ease, which is better than how I felt up until now as a robot.
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
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.
