ease
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /iːz/
enpr: ēz
ipa: /iz/
rhymes: -iːz
homophone: ees
homophone: E's
homophone: 'e's
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.
Senses: examples: text: He played the ukelele with ease.
text: The ease of lifting the weight, despite lack of skill, came from her pure strength.
text: Her young boy lifted a weight with ease too, as that one wasn't too heavy
text: The ease with which she passed all the exams surprised her.
synonyms: easiness
facility
antonyms: difficulty
glosses: Lack of difficulty; the ability to do something easily.
examples: text: She enjoyed the ease of living in a house where the servants did all the work.
synonyms: comfort
peace
indolency
inexertion
glosses: Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness
Freedom from pain, hardship, and annoyance, sometimes (derogatory, archaic) idleness, sloth.
examples: text: The pension set her mind at ease.
text: There is ease in the soul of Slid and there be calms upon the sea; also, there be storms upon the sea and troubles in the soul of Slid, for the gods have many moods.
ref: 1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC, page 16:
synonyms: comfort
peace
peace of mind
glosses: Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness
Freedom from worry and concern; peace; sometimes (derogatory, archaic) indifference.
examples: text: We took our ease on the patio.
synonyms: comfort
peace
free time
leisure
relaxation
rest
glosses: Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness
Freedom from effort; leisure, rest.
examples: text: His inheritance catapulted him into a life of ease.
synonyms: word: comfort
word: peace
word: fortune
word: plenty
word: abundance
word: affluence
word: cheese
word: ease
word: fortune
word: Mammon
word: opulence
word: plenty
word: richdom
word: riches
word: wealth
glosses: Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness
Freedom from financial effort or worry; affluence.
examples: text: She dealt with the faculty with combined authority and ease.
synonyms: comfort
peace
aplomb
composure
poise
sangfroid
glosses: Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness
Freedom from embarrassment or awkwardness; grace.
examples: text: Take one pill every 12 hours to provide ease from pain.
glosses: Relief, an end to discomfort
Followed by of or from: release from or reduction of pain, hardship, or annoyance.
synonyms: word: liss
word: solace
word: alleviation
word: comfort
word: consolation
word: ease
word: liss
word: release
word: relief
word: respite
word: solace
glosses: Relief, an end to discomfort
Release from intestinal discomfort: defecation.
synonyms: word: call of nature
word: easement
word: big jobs
word: bowel movement
word: cack
word: call of nature
word: crap
word: crapping
word: defecating
word: defecation
word: doing one's ease
word: doing one's easement
word: dump
word: dumping
word: easement
word: hod
word: motion
word: number two
word: poo
word: pooh
word: poop
word: purging
word: sharn
word: shit
word: shitting
word: spraying
word: taking a shit
examples: text: At ease, soldier!
glosses: Relief, an end to discomfort
Release from constraint, obligation, or a constrained position.
examples: text: Add some ease to the waist measurement.
topics: business
clothing
fashion
lifestyle
manufacturing
textiles
glosses: Relief, an end to discomfort
Additional space provided to allow greater movement.
synonyms: amenity
glosses: A convenience; a luxury.
synonyms: alleviation
mitigation
glosses: A relief; an easement.
Derived terms: at ease
at one's ease
chapel of ease
church of ease
closet of ease
court of ease
dis-ease
do ease
do one's ease
ease-and-comfort
ease-bred
easeful
easeless
ease-loving
easen
ease nature
ease of doing business index
ease of use
ease-room
easesome
evil at ease
heartsease
house of ease
ill at ease
ill-ease
little-ease
office of ease
seat of ease
stand at ease
steez
take one's ease
theater of ease
unease
well at ease
with ease
writ of ease
Related terms: disease
easy
easiness