Ease

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Ease, n. [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.].

•  Satisfaction; pleasure; hence, accommodation; entertainment.  [1913 Webster]

  "They him besought
  Of harbor and or ease as for hire penny."  [1913 Webster]
•  Freedom from anything that pains or troubles; as: (a) Relief from labor or effort; rest; quiet; relaxation; as, ease of body.  [1913 Webster]

  "Usefulness comes by labor, wit by ease."  [1913 Webster]

  "Give yourself ease from the fatigue of watching."

  "Among these nations shalt thou find no ease."  [1913 Webster]

  "Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry."

  "True ease in writing comes from art, not chance."  [1913 Webster]

  "Whate'er he did was done with so much ease,
  In him alone 't was natural to please."  [1913 Webster]

At ease, free from pain, trouble, or anxiety. “His soul shall dwell at ease.” Ps. xxv. 12. -- Chapel of ease. See under Chapel. -- Ill at ease, not at ease, disquieted; suffering; anxious. -- To stand at ease (Mil.), to stand in a comfortable attitude in one's place in the ranks. -- With ease, easily; without much effort.

Syn. -- Rest; quiet; repose; comfortableness; tranquillity; facility; easiness; readiness.

Ease, v. t. & i. [OE. esen, eisen, OF. aisier. See Ease, n.].

•  To free from anything that pains, disquiets, or oppresses; to relieve from toil or care; to give rest, repose, or tranquillity to; -- often with of; as, to ease of pain; to ease the body or mind.  [1913 Webster]

  "Eased [from] the putting off
  These troublesome disguises which we wear."  [1913 Webster]

  "Sing, and I 'll ease thy shoulders of thy load."  [1913 Webster]
•  To render less painful or oppressive; to mitigate; to alleviate.  [1913 Webster]

  "My couch shall ease my complaint."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  To entertain; to furnish with accommodations.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

To ease off, To ease away (Naut.), to slacken a rope gradually. -- To ease a ship (Naut.), to put the helm hard, or regulate the sail, to prevent pitching when closehauled. -- To ease the helm (Naut.), to put the helm more nearly amidships, to lessen the effect on the ship, or the strain on the wheel rope. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

Syn. -- To relieve; disburden; quiet; calm; tranquilize; assuage; alleviate; allay; mitigate; appease; pacify.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Ease, n. & v.
--n.
1 absence of difficulty; facility, effortlessness (did it with ease).
2 a freedom or relief from pain, anxiety, or trouble. b freedom from embarrassment or awkwardness. c freedom or relief from constraint or formality.
--v.
1 tr. relieve from pain or anxiety etc. (often foll. by of : eased my mind; eased me of the burden).
2 intr. (often foll. by off, up) a become less painful or burdensome. b relax; begin to take it easy. c slow down; moderate one's behaviour, habits, etc.
3 tr. joc. rob or extract money etc. from (let me ease you of your loose change).
4 intr. Meteorol. become less severe (the wind will ease tonight).
5 a tr. relax; slacken; make a less tight fit. b tr. & intr. (foll. by through, into, etc.) move or be moved carefully into place (eased it into the hole).
6 intr. (often foll. by off) Stock Exch. (of shares etc.) descend in price or value.

Idiom

at ease
1 free from anxiety or constraint.
2 Mil. a in a relaxed attitude, with the feet apart. b the order to stand in this way. at one's ease free from embarrassment, awkwardness, or undue formality. ease away (or down or off) Naut. slacken (a rope, sail, etc.).

Derivative

easer n.

Etymology

ME f. AF ese, OF eise, ult. f. L adjacens ADJACENT

THESAURUS

Ease

Atticism, Bohemianism, Easy Street, abandon, abate, abatement, abet, abundance, acceptance, adeptness, adroitness, advance, affability, affluence, aid, alienation, allay, allayment, alleviate, alleviation, allow for, ameliorate, amusement, analgesia, anesthesia, anesthetize, anesthetizing, animal pleasure, aplomb, appease, appeasement, appropriateness, artfulness, artlessness, assist, assistance, assuage, assuagement, assure, attenuate, avail, bail out, bate, be light, bear a hand, bear up, bed of roses, befriend, benefit, benumb, better, bodily pleasure, calm, calm down, calming, calmness, carnal delight, casualness, chasteness, chastity, cheer, clarity, classicalism, classicism, clear, clear coast, clear road, clear the way, clearness, cleverness, clover, color, comeliness, comfort, common touch, compose, composure, condole with, content, contentedness, contentment, convenience, cool, cordiality, correctness, coziness, cradle, creature comforts, cushion, deaden, deaden the pain, deadening, decrease, deftness, diffuse, dignity, dilute, diminish, diminishment, diminution, directness, disburden, discrimination, disencumber, disengage, disjoin, dispatch, disperse, distinction, do good, doctor, dulcify, dull, dulling, ease matters, ease off, ease up, easement, easiness, easing, easy circumstances, easy going, easygoingness, efficiency, effortlessness, elegance, elegancy, encourage, endpleasure, enjoyment, entertainment, entire satisfaction, euphoria, even out, expedite, expertise, expertness, explain, extenuate, facileness, facilitate, facility, familiarity, favor, felicitousness, felicity, finish, fittingness, fleshpots, flow, flowing periods, fluency, fluff, folksiness, foment, forepleasure, forward, free, free time, freedom, fruition, fulfillment, fun, further, gentle, give a boost, give a hand, give a lift, give comfort, give help, give relief, gloss over, good offices, good taste, goof-off time, grace, gracefulness, gracility, gracious life, gracious living, graciousness, gratification, grease, grease the ways, grease the wheels, great satisfaction, guide, gusto, happiness, hasten, have little weight, hearten, hearty enjoyment, help, help along, highroad, homeliness, homeyness, hush, idle hours, idleness, ignore, improve, inactivity, inch, inertia, inertness, informality, informalness, ingenuousness, insouciance, intellectual pleasure, intelligibility, irregularity, joie de vivre, keen pleasure, kick the beam, kicks, knack, knead, lack of hindrance, lap of luxury, lax, laxate, lay, leisure, lend a hand, lend one aid, lessen, lessening, let down, let go, let up, let up on, liberate, life of ease, lighten, limber, limber up, limpidity, loaves and fishes, loose, loosen, looseness, lubricate, lucidity, lull, lulling, luxury, make allowance for, make clear, make light, make lighter, make way for, manipulate, mash, massage, mellow, milden, mince, ministration, ministry, mitigate, mitigation, moderation, mollification, mollify, naturalness, neatness, nonchalance, numb, numbing, odd moments, off-load, offhandedness, office, offices, oil, open the way, open up, opulence, pacify, pad, palliate, palliation, passivity, pave the way, peace, peace and quiet, peace of mind, peacefulness, pellucidity, perspicuity, physical pleasure, plain sailing, plainness, plane sailing, pleasure, plenty, plump, poetry, poise, polish, poultice, pour balm into, pour oil on, prepare the way, proffer aid, promote, propriety, prosperity, prosperousness, protect, protection, pulp, purity, put at ease, quell, quicken, quiet, quiet pleasure, quieten, rally, reassure, reclaim, reconcilement, reconciliation, redeem, reduce, reduce weight, reduction, refinement, relax, relaxation, relaxedness, release, relief, relieve, relish, remedy, remit, remove friction, render assistance, repose, rescue, resignation, rest, restfulness, restore, restraint, resuscitate, retirement, revive, rock, rock to sleep, royal road, run interference for, salve, salving, satisfaction, save, scatter, security, seemliness, self-gratification, self-indulgence, semiretirement, sensual pleasure, sensuous pleasure, serenity, service, set at ease, set up, sexual pleasure, shake up, simplicity, simplify, skillfulness, slack, slack off, slack up, slacken, slake, sleep, slip, slow down, slur over, smash, smooth, smooth down, smooth over, smooth road, smooth sailing, smooth the way, smoothen, smoothness, soap the ways, sociability, soft-pedal, soften, soften up, softening, solace, solid comfort, soothe, soothing, spare time, speed, spontaneity, squash, stabilize, steady, steer, still, straight sailing, straightforwardness, stupe, subdue, subduement, success, succor, supple, support, sweetness of life, sympathize with, take in tow, taste, tastefulness, tenderize, terseness, the affluent life, the good life, therapy, thriving, thriving condition, time, time to kill, time to spare, titillation, tone down, tranquilize, tranquillity, tune down, unaffectedness, unballast, unbar, unbend, unblock, unbrace, unburden, unbuttoned ease, unceremoniousness, unclog, uncomplexity, uncomplicatedness, unconcern, unconstrainedness, unconstraint, unconventionality, unglue, unjam, unlade, unlax, unleash, unload, unpretentiousness, unrestraint, unstick, unstrain, unstring, untighten, unwind, upward mobility, varnish, velvet, voluptuousness, water down, weaken, weal, wealth, weigh lightly, welfare, well-being, whitewash, zest

ROGET THESAURUS

Ease

Elegance

N elegance, purity, grace, ease, gracefulness, readiness, concinnity, euphony, numerosity, Atticism, classicalism, classicism, well rounded periods, well turned periods, flowing periods, the right word in the right place, antithesis, purist, elegant, polished, classical, Attic, correct, Ciceronian, artistic, chaste, pure, Saxon, academical, graceful, easy, readable, fluent, flowing, tripping, unaffected, natural, unlabored, mellifluous, euphonious, euphemism, euphemistic, numerose, rhythmical, felicitous, happy, neat, well put, neatly put, well expressed, neatly expressed.

State

N state, condition, category, estate, lot, ease, trim, mood, pickle, plight, temper, aspect, dilemma, pass, predicament, constitution, habitude, diathesis, frame, fabric, stamp, set, fit, mold, mould, mode, modality, schesis, form, tone, tenor, turn, trim, guise, fashion, light, complexion, style, character, conditional, modal, formal, structural, organic, conditionally, as the matter stands, as things are, such being the case.

Leisure

N leisure, convenience, spare time, spare hours, spare moments, vacant hour, time, time to spare, time on one's hands, holiday, relaxation, otium cum dignitate, ease, no hurry, no big rush, no deadline, leisure, leisurely, slow, deliberate, quiet, calm, undisturbed, at leisure, at one's ease, at loose ends, at a loose end, unhurriedly, deliberately, without undue haste, anytime, time hanging heavy on one's hands, eile mit Weile.

Facility

N facility, ease, easiness, capability, feasibility, flexibility, pliancy, smoothness, plain sailing, smooth sailing, straight sailing, mere child's play, holiday task, cinch, smooth water, fair wind, smooth royal road, clear coast, clear stage, tabula rasa, full play, disencumbrance, disentanglement, deoppilation, permission, simplicity, lack of complication, easy, facile, feasible, easily managed, easily accomplished, within reach, accessible, easy of access, for the million, open to, manageable, wieldy, towardly, tractable, submissive, yielding, ductile, suant, pliant, glib, slippery, smooth, on friction wheels, on velvet, unembarrassed, disburdened, unburdened, disencumbered, unencumbered, disembarrassed, exonerated, unloaded, unobstructed, untrammeled, unrestrained, at ease, light, at home with, quite at home, in one's element, in smooth water, skillful, accustomed, easily, readily, smoothly, swimmingly, on easy terms, single-handed, touch and go.

VB be easy, go on smoothly, run smoothly, have full play, go on all fours, run on all fours, obey the helm, work well, flow with the stream, swim with the stream, drift with the stream, go with the stream, flow with the tide, drift with the tide, see one's way, have all one's own way, have the game in one's own hands, walk over the course, win at a canter, make light of, make nothing of, make no bones of, be at home in, make it look easy, do it with one's eyes closed, do it in one's sleep, render easy, facilitate, smooth, ease, popularize, lighten, lighten the labor, free, clear, disencumber, disembarrass, disentangle, disengage, deobstruct, unclog, extricate, unravel, untie the knot, cut the knot, disburden, unload, exonerate, emancipate, free from, deoppilate, humor, lubricate, relieve, leave a hole to creep out of, leave a loophole, leave the matter open, give the reins to, give full play, give full swing, make way for, open the door to, open the way, prepare the ground, smooth the ground, clear the ground, open the way, open the path, open the road, pave the way, bridge over, permit.

Pleasure

N pleasure, gratification, enjoyment, fruition, oblectation, delectation, delection, relish, zest, gusto, satisfaction, complacency, well-being, good, snugness, comfort, ease, cushion, sans souci, without worry, mind at ease, joy, gladness, delight, glee, cheer, sunshine, cheerfulness, treat, refreshment, amusement, luxury, mens sana in corpore sano, a sound mind in a sound body, happiness, felicity, bliss, beatitude, beautification, enchantment, transport, rapture, ravishment, ecstasy, summum bonum, paradise, elysium, third heaven, seventh heaven, cloud nine, unalloyed happiness, hedonics, hedonism, honeymoon, palmy days, halcyon days, golden age, golden time, Dixie, Dixie's land, Saturnia regna, Arcadia, Shangri-La, happy valley, Agapemone, pleased, not sorry, glad, gladsome, pleased as Punch, happy, blest, blessed, blissful, beatified, happy as a clam at high water, happy as a clam, happy as a king, happy as the day is long, thrice happy, ter quaterque beatus, enjoying, joyful, hedonic, in a blissful state, in paradise, in raptures, in ecstasies, in a transport of delight, comfortable, at ease, content, sans souci, overjoyed, entranced, enchanted, enraptures, enravished, transported, fascinated, captivated, with a joyful face, with sparkling eyes, pleasing, ecstatic, beatic, painless, unalloyed, without alloy, cloudless, happily, with pleasure, with glee, one's heart leaping with joy, a wilderness of sweets, I wish you all the joy that you can wish, jour de ma vie, joy ruled the day and love the night, joys season'd high and tasting strong of guilt, oh happiness, our being's end and aim!, there is a pleasure that is born of pain, throned on highest bliss, vedi Napoli e poi muori, zwischen Freud und Leid ist die Brucke nicht weit, the bridge between joy and sorrow is not wide.

Content

N content, contentment, contentedness, complacency, satisfaction, entire satisfaction, ease, heart's ease, peace of mind, serenity, cheerfulness, ray of comfort, comfort reconciliation, resignation, waiter on Providence, content, contented, satisfied, at ease, at one's ease, at home, with the mind at ease, sans souci, sine cura, easygoing, not particular, conciliatory, unrepining, of good comfort, resigned, cheerful, unafflicted, unvexed, unmolested, unplagued, serene, at rest, snug, comfortable, in one's element, satisfactory, tolerable, good enough, OK, all right, acceptable, contently, contentedly, to one's heart's content, a la bonne heure, all for the best, Int, amen, very well, all the better, so much the better, well and good, it will do, that will do, it cannot be helped, nothing comes amiss, a heart with room for every joy, ich habe genossen das irdische Gluck ich habe gele, nor cast one longing lingering look behind, shut up in measureless content, sweet are the thoughts that savor of content, their wants but few their wishes all confined, might as well relax and enjoy it.

Relief

VB relieve, ease, alleviate, mitigate, palliate, soothe, salve, soften, soften down, foment, stupe, poultice, assuage, allay, cheer, comfort, console, enliven, encourage, bear up, pat on the back, give comfort, set at ease, gladden the heart, cheer the heart, inspirit, invigorate, remedy, cure, refresh, pour balm into, pour oil on, smooth the ruffled brow of care, temper the wind to the shorn lamb, lay the flattering unction to one's soul, disburden, take a load off one's chest, get a load off one's chest, take off a load of care, be relieved, breathe more freely, draw a long breath, take comfort, dry the tears, dry the eyes, wipe the tears, wipe the eyes.

Physical Pleasure

N physical pleasure, pleasure, physical pleasure, sensual pleasure, sensuous pleasure, bodily enjoyment, animal gratification, hedonism, sensuality, luxuriousness, dissipation, round of pleasure, titillation, gusto, creature comforts, comfort, ease, pillow, luxury, lap of luxury, purple and fine linen, bed of downs, bed of roses, velvet, clover, cup of Circe, treat, refreshment, regale, feast, delice, dainty, bonne bouche, source of pleasure, happiness, enjoying, luxurious, voluptuous, sensual, comfortable, cosy, snug, in comfort, at ease, pleasant, agreeable, in comfort, on a bed of roses, at one's ease, ride si sapis, voluptales commendat rarior usus.