What does "ease" mean?
Lack of difficulty; the ability to do something easily.
Ease
/iz/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Lack of difficulty; the ability to do something easily.
- Grammar: ease is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: comfort, relaxation, relief, simplicity.
- Useful contrasts: agonising, agonizing, anguished.
- Usage evidence: You can't feel at ease with a headache.
How to use "ease"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ease" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ease" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ease" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ease" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ease" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "comfort" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ease", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Lack of difficulty; the ability to do something easily. uncountable
"He played the ukelele with ease."
- 2 freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility) wordnet
- 3 Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness; Freedom from pain, hardship, and annoyance, sometimes (derogatory, archaic) idleness, sloth. uncountable
"She enjoyed the ease of living in a house where the servants did all the work."
- 4 freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort wordnet
- 5 Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness; Freedom from worry and concern; peace; sometimes (derogatory, archaic) indifference. uncountable
"The pension set her mind at ease."
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 freedom from constraint or embarrassment wordnet
- 7 Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness; Freedom from effort; leisure, rest. uncountable
"We took our ease on the patio."
- 8 the condition of being comfortable or relieved (especially after being relieved of distress) wordnet
- 9 Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness; Freedom from financial effort or worry; affluence. uncountable
"His inheritance catapulted him into a life of ease."
- 10 a freedom from financial difficulty that promotes a comfortable state wordnet
- 11 Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness; Freedom from embarrassment or awkwardness; grace. uncountable
"She dealt with the faculty with combined authority and ease."
- 12 Relief, an end to discomfort; Followed by of or from: release from or reduction of pain, hardship, or annoyance. uncountable
"Take one pill every 12 hours to provide ease from pain."
- 13 Relief, an end to discomfort; Release from intestinal discomfort: defecation. euphemistic, obsolete, uncountable
- 14 Relief, an end to discomfort; Release from constraint, obligation, or a constrained position. uncountable
"At ease, soldier!"
- 15 Relief, an end to discomfort; Additional space provided to allow greater movement. uncountable
"Add some ease to the waist measurement."
- 16 A convenience; a luxury. obsolete, uncountable
- 17 A relief; an easement. obsolete, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc. transitive
"He eased his conscience by confessing."
- 2 lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate wordnet
- 3 To alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain). transitive
"He loosened his shoe to ease the pain."
- 4 make easier wordnet
- 5 To give respite to (someone). transitive
"The provision of extra staff eased their workload."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 lessen the intensity of or calm wordnet
- 7 To loosen or slacken the tension on a line. transitive
"We eased the boom vang, then lowered the sail."
- 8 move gently or carefully wordnet
- 9 To reduce the difficulty of (something). transitive
"We had to ease the entry requirements."
- 10 To move (something) slowly and carefully. transitive
"He eased the cork from the bottle."
- 11 To lessen in intensity. intransitive
"The pain eased overnight."
- 12 To proceed with little effort. intransitive
"The car eased onto the motorway."
- 13 To reduce speed.
"But from Northallerton No. 46143 reached 65½ m.p.h. by Otterington, 73 by Thirsk, 79½ by Pilmoor, and 82½ by Alne and was still accelerating when it was decided on the footplate that the train was getting too much ahead of time—and no wonder, with 40 min. allowed for the level 30.0 miles from Northallerton to York!—so that the engine was drastically eased."
- 14 To take something from (a person), especially by robbery. archaic, slang, transitive
"Coming up to the thief they eased him of his late acquisitions, which Redmond, restoring to the right owner, bound him over to prosecute the robber at the next assizes."
Example
"You can't feel at ease with a headache."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ease"?
Common synonyms include: comfort, relaxation, relief, simplicity, abandon, abate.
How do you use "ease" in a sentence?
You can't feel at ease with a headache.
How do you pronounce "ease"?
Pronounced /iz/.
Etymology
From Middle English ese, eise, aise, from Anglo-Norman ese (“ease”), from Old French eise, aise (“elbow room; opportunity”), of uncertain and obscure origin. Apparently related to Provençal ais, Italian agio and asio, Sicilian aciu and Portuguese azo. Sometimes ascribed to Vulgar Latin *āsia or *āsium, possibly from Latin ānsa (“handle, haft”) or Frankish *ansiju (“handle, loophole, eyelet; cup-handle; arms akimbo, elbow room”), but more often derived from Vulgar Latin *adjace(m), from Latin adjacēns (“adjacent, neighbouring”), present participle of adjaceō (“lie next to, border on”), though the forms and senses are difficult to trace clearly. Alternatively, possibly from a non-Latin source such as Germanic or Celtic on the basis of the conflicting forms which appear in various Romance languages. Compare Old English īeþe (“easy”), Gothic 𐌰𐌶𐌴𐍄𐌹 (azēti, “ease; pleasure”), *𐌰𐌶𐌴𐍄𐍃 (*azēts, “easy”), Breton eaz, ez (“easy”), Irish adhais (“easy; leisure”). See also eath. The verb is from Middle English esen, ultimately of the same origin.