Basic+ Word of the Day: ease

ease (noun, verb) past tense: eased

"I dream of a life of ease."

Ease is freedom from difficulty or worry.

• The manager said, "Let me put your minds at ease. Our store is not closing, so your jobs are safe."
• The runner won the race with ease.

Ease also means ‘to cause to become less difficult, severe or painful.’

• The pilot's calm voice eased the passengers' fears.
• The aspirin eased the pain in Tom's back.
• The peace talks eased tensions between the two countries.

Common uses

When soldiers are standing at attention (erect with their arms at their sides) an officer may give this command: “At ease.” That means that they can move to a more relaxed stance.

In pop culture

The Wiz is a musical based on The Wizard of Oz. Watch Diana Ross and Michael Jackson singing “Ease on Down the Road.” It’s sure to make you smile!

There are other meanings of ease.