ease
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /iːz/
enpr: ēz
ipa: /iz/
rhymes: -iːz
homophone: ees
homophone: E's
homophone: 'e's
Forms: form: eases
form: easing
form: eased
form: eased
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 eased his conscience by confessing.
text: And ſure, although it was invented to eaſe his mynde of griefe, there be a number of caveats therein to forewarne other young gentlemen to foreſtand with good government their folowing yl fortunes; […]
ref: 1576, George Whetstone, “The Ortchard of Repentance: […]”, in The Rocke of Regard, […], London: […] [H. Middleton] for Robert Waley, →OCLC; republished in J[ohn] P[ayne] Collier, editor, The Rocke of Regard, […] (Illustrations of Early English Poetry; vol. 2, no. 2), London: Privately printed, [1867?], →OCLC, page 291:
text: Elyse Saugstad, a professional skier, wore a backpack equipped with an air bag, a relatively new and expensive part of the arsenal that backcountry users increasingly carry to ease their minds and increase survival odds in case of an avalanche.
ref: 2012 December 26, John Branch, “Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Nov 2013:
glosses: To free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc.
examples: text: He loosened his shoe to ease the pain.
text: His words of comfort eased his friend's pain and distress.
glosses: To alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain).
examples: text: The provision of extra staff eased their workload.
text: An extra rush-hour train has eased overcrowding of the former 5.39 p.m. to Salisbury; this now leaves at 5.43 and an additional electric service to Alton departs at 5.39 p.m.
ref: 1961 October, “The winter timetables of British Railways: Southern Region”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 593–594:
glosses: To give respite to (someone).
examples: text: We eased the boom vang, then lowered the sail.
topics: nautical
transport
glosses: To loosen or slacken the tension on a line.
examples: text: We had to ease the entry requirements.
text: I want to thank you all for easing my coming out.
ref: 1974 April 6, 'Paul', “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 8:
glosses: To reduce the difficulty of (something).
examples: text: He eased the cork from the bottle.
text: Ease down off boulders; a jump may jar or sprain.
ref: 1915 April 24, Enos A. Mills, “Going to the Top”, in The Rocky Mountain Wonderland, Houghton Mifflin, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 18:
text: Giant oil-tankers can often be seen easing up and down Milford Haven, where a vast new port has been developed since the late 1950s.
ref: 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 141:
antonyms: maneuver
glosses: To move (something) slowly and carefully.
examples: text: The pain eased overnight.
glosses: To lessen in intensity.
examples: text: The car eased onto the motorway.
text: "There's no other traffic on this line. We are 20 minutes ahead of time, so I'm easing back," says Waddicor as he approaches the crossing of HS2.
ref: 2025 August 20, Paul Clifton, “A driver's eye view of East West Rail”, in RAIL, number 1042, page 33:
glosses: To proceed with little effort.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1865, The Dublin University Magazine, volume 66, page 158:
text: So I tucked my violin under my arm, and sallied out after the old budgy ragman, determined to ease him of his load at the very first lonesome corner I could track him to.
ref: 1876, The Shamrock, volume 14:
glosses: To take something from (a person), especially by robbery.
Synonyms: sense: free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc
word: assuage
sense: free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc
word: salve
sense: alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain)
word: allay
sense: alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain)
word: alleviate
sense: alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain)
word: assuage
sense: alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain)
word: lessen
sense: alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain)
word: reduce
sense: give respite to (someone)
word: give someone a break
sense: give respite to (someone)
word: lay off
sense: loosen or slacken the tension on (something)
word: loosen
sense: loosen or slacken the tension on (something)
word: relax
sense: loosen or slacken the tension on (something)
word: slacken
sense: reduce the difficulty of (something)
word: facilitate
sense: reduce the difficulty of (something)
word: simplify
sense: lessen in severity
word: lessen
sense: lessen in severity
word: reduce
sense: proceed with little effort
word: cruise
Derived terms: ease off
ease oneself
ease one's mind
easer
ease up