ease Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort
    simplicity; simpleness; easiness.
    • he rose through the ranks with apparent ease
    • they put it into containers for ease of transportation
    • the very easiness of the deed held her back
  2. noun a freedom from financial difficulty that promotes a comfortable state
    comfort.
    • a life of luxury and ease
    • he had all the material comforts of this world
  3. noun the condition of being comfortable or relieved (especially after being relieved of distress)
    relief.
    • he enjoyed his relief from responsibility
    • getting it off his conscience gave him some ease
  4. noun freedom from constraint or embarrassment
    informality.
    • I am never at ease with strangers
  5. noun freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility)
    repose; rest; relaxation.
    • took his repose by the swimming pool
  6. verb move gently or carefully
    • He eased himself into the chair
  7. verb lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate
    comfort.
    • ease the pain in your legs
  8. verb make easier
    facilitate; alleviate.
    • you could facilitate the process by sharing your knowledge
  9. verb lessen the intensity of or calm
    relieve; allay; still.
    • The news eased my conscience
    • still the fears

WordNet

Ease noun
Etymology
OE. ese, eise, F. aise; akin to Pr. ais, aise, OIt. asio, It. agio; of uncertain origin; cf. L. ansa handle, occasion, opportunity. Cf. Agio, Disease.
Definitions
  1. Satisfaction; pleasure; hence, accommodation; entertainment. Obs.
    They him besought Of harbor and or ease as for hire penny. Chaucer.
  2. Freedom from anything that pains or troubles; as: (a) Relief from labor or effort; rest; quiet; relaxation; as, ease of body.
    Usefulness comes by labor, wit by ease. Herbert.
    Give yourself ease from the fatigue of watching. Swift.
    (b) Freedom from care, solicitude, or anything that annoys or disquiets; tranquillity; peace; comfort; security; as, ease of mind.
    Among these nations shalt thou find no ease. Deut. xxviii. 65.
    Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Luke xii. 19.
    (c) Freedom from constraint, formality, difficulty, embarrassment, etc.; facility; liberty; naturalness; -- said of manner, style, etc.; as, ease of style, of behavior, of address.
    True ease in writing comes from art, not chance. Pope.
    Whate'er he did was done with so much ease, In him alone 't was natural to please. Dryden.
    Syn. -- Rest; quiet; repose; comfortableness; tranquility; facility; easiness; readiness.
Ease transitive verb & intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. esen, eisen, OF. aisier. See Ease, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Eased ; present participle & verbal noun Easing
Definitions
  1. To free from anything that pains, disquiets, or oppresses; to relieve from toil or care; to give rest, repose, or tranquility to; -- often with of; as, to ease of pain; ease the body or mind.
    Eased [from] the putting off These troublesome disguises which we wear. Milton.
    Sing, and I 'll ease thy shoulders of thy load. Dryden.
  2. To render less painful or oppressive; to mitigate; to alleviate.
    My couch shall ease my complaint. Job vii. 13.
  3. To release from pressure or restraint; to move gently; to lift slightly; to shift a little; as, to ease a bar or nut in machinery.
  4. To entertain; to furnish with accommodations. Obs. Chaucer. Ham. Nav. Encyc. Syn. -- To relieve; disburden; quiet; calm; tranquilize; assuage; alleviate; allay; mitigate; appease; pacify.

Webster 1913