Word family noun ease unease easiness uneasiness adjective easy uneasy verb ease adverb easily uneasily easy
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englisheaseease1 /iːz/ ●●○ W3 noun [uncountable] 1 → with ease2 → at ease3 → ill at ease4 → ease of application/use etc5 RELAXEDthe ability to feel relaxed or behave in a natural relaxed way He had a natural ease which made him very popular.6 → a life of ease7 → (stand) at easeCOLLOCATIONSphraseswith great/considerable ease (=very easily)The car handles these mountain roads with great ease.with apparent ease (=seeming easy, although this may not be the case)I was amazed by the apparent ease with which she got through the security system.with comparative/relative ease (=seeming easy, especially considering how difficult something is)Most modern laptops can store large amounts of data with comparative ease.with consummate ease formal (=in a way that shows great skill and so makes something difficult look very easy)It was a beautiful goal, scored with consummate ease.Examples from the Corpus
ease• But, as of old, his smooth face fairly shone with affable ease.• The ideal tech is good at computers and at ease with people, a combination which can be difficult to find.• Already Morales talks of being tired, and he appears ill at ease with the insistent pace of campaigning.• They offer the advantages of cheapness, ease of operation and simple maintenance, and are ideal for routine petrographic purposes.• We stripped a combination of primer and varnish from a plywood screen with comparative ease.• I'm amazed at the sense of ease he has with children.• C., where she lived a life of relative ease and privilege.• I was surprised by the ease with which I had gotten reservations.• Because of the ease of manufacture, an increasing number of so-called Cassegrain reflectors are being made to the Dall-Kirkham design.• Just like that, with the ease and assurance of a thing that was not only commonplace hut also predestined.easeease2 ●○○ verb 1 improve [intransitive, transitive]EASY if something unpleasant eases, or if you ease it, it gradually improves or becomes lessease the pain/stress/tension He’ll give you something to ease the pain.ease the pressure/burden This should ease the burden on busy teachers. measures to ease congestion in the city Her breathing had eased.2 make easier [transitive]EASY to make a process happen more easily SYN smooth The agreement will ease the way for other countries to join the EU.3 move [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE something OR somebody to move yourself or something slowly and carefully into another place or position She eased her shoes off.ease yourself into/through etc something He eased himself into a chair.ease your way past/through etc something He eased his way through the crowd. Jean eased back on the pillows and relaxed.4 → ease your grip5 → ease somebody’s mind → ease (somebody) into something → ease off → ease out → ease up→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
ease• This led to a discussion of timetabling and the constraints imposed by group sizes, and how these constraints might be eased.• Whose own sorrows I would gladly try to ease.• The arrival of the others eased her embarrassment slightly.• A faint smile eased her heavy mouth.• She eased herself slowly from the bed.• Congress may ease import restrictions on grain.• To ease non-marital breakups:-Remind yourself why you moved in in the first place.• Tensions in the region have eased slightly.• Cresson warned, however, that partial privatizations should not be used to ease the government's financial problems.• Rod rubbed his jaw to ease the pain a little.• The help of UN experts eased the transition to independence.• I was trying to ease the wagon down a short slope when it broke loose and almost broke my leg.• We need to get rid of Africa's long-term debt burden, and ease trade and commerce.• The overtime and opportunities for easing which court duty affords is often not compensation enough for the stress it involves.ease the pain/stress/tension• For some Artemis eased the pain.• He also wound up mad enough to spend eight years in courtrooms, battling for something else to help ease the pain.• On several occasions she was admitted to the hospital and spent several days there undergoing traction to ease the pain.• It was a generous gesture to try to ease the tension and relax a fellow professional.• Finally, his decision to sign no doubt will ease the tension between his government and Washington.• They ease the pain, creating a private world of peace into which the prisoner can withdraw and temporarily forget the awfulness.• Surely some one somewhere knows who killed Ann Heron and that person could ease the pain for her heartbroken family.• The horse slacked his pace, swung his neck down to ease the tension in it, and relaxed his tail.ease the way for• This preparation eased the way for further integration of physically handicapped children into the mixed ability secondary school.ease yourself into/through etc something• He nodded a goodbye, forced a smile, then eased himself into his car and slammed the door.• I eased myself into a seat for the red-eye flight from Vegas back to New York.• Lounge by its swimming pool to ease yourself into your break, then book an Ayurvedic massage.• Many ex-professionals prefer to open pubs or manage Swindon Town rather than to ease themselves into retirement by playing non-League football.• She eased herself into a sitting position and groped for the heavy torch she had placed on the shelf by her bunk.• Sir John eased himself into his great chair at the top of the table and gloomily reflected on the past.• Then he eased himself through the narrow gap feet first, and dropped lightly to the floor.• Weight was slowly ebbing; the rockets were being throttled back as the ship eased itself into orbit.From Longman Business Dictionaryeaseease /iːz/ verb1[intransitive, transitive] if limits, rules, restrictions etc are eased, or someone eases them, they become less strictIndia is easing rules for joint ventures with foreign concerns.2[intransitive, transitive] if interest rates ease, or if a government or central bank eases them, they fall slightlyThe central bank is prepared to ease interest rates further.3[intransitive] if prices on a financial market ease, they fall slightlyStock prices eased in a slow trading session.Shares in Tokyo Gas eased 2 to 565, and Marubeni lost 5 to 660. —easing noun [countable, uncountable]the easing of restrictions on non-refundable faresProfit-taking in the oil sector led to an easing of prices.Rates are now around 7%, following a series of easings by the Reserve Bank of Australia. → ease off→ See Verb tableOrigin ease1 (1100-1200) Old French aise “comfort” 