Ease — Defs

01 n. Satisfaction; pleasure; hence, accommodation; entertainment.

1.
Satisfaction; pleasure; hence, accommodation; entertainment.[Obs.]
“They him besought Of harbor and or ease as for hire penny.” — Chaucer.
2.
Freedom from anything that pains or troubles; as: (a) Relief from labor or effort; rest; quiet; relaxation; as, ease of body.
“Usefulness comes by labor, wit by ease.” — Herbert.

“Give yourself ease from the fatigue of watching.” — Swift.
3.
Freedom from care, solicitude, or anything that annoys or disquiets; tranquillity; peace; comfort; security; as, ease of mind.
“Among these nations shalt thou find no ease.” — Deut. xxviii. 65.

“Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” — Luke xii. 19.
4.
Freedom from constraint, formality, difficulty, embarrassment, etc.; facility; liberty; naturalness; -- said of manner, style, etc.; as, ease of style, of behavior, of address.
“True ease in writing comes from art, not chance.” — Pope.

“Whate'er he did was done with so much ease, In him alone 't was natural to please.” — Dryden.

Phrases & compounds

At ease — free from pain, trouble, or anxiety.

Chapel of ease — See under Chapel.

Ill at ease — not at ease, disquieted; suffering; anxious.

To stand at ease — 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.

02 v. t. & i. To free from anything that pains, disquiets, or oppresses; to relieve from toil or care; to give rest, repose, or tranquillity to; -- often…

imp. & p. p. Eased; p. pr. & vb. n. Easing

1.
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.
“Eased [from] the putting off These troublesome disguises which we wear.” — Milton.

“Sing, and I 'll ease thy shoulders of thy load.” — Dryden.
2.
To render less painful or oppressive; to mitigate; to alleviate.
“My couch shall ease my complaint.” — Job vii. 13.
3.
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.
4.
To entertain; to furnish with accommodations.[Obs.]

Phrases & compounds

To ease off — to slacken a rope gradually.

To ease a ship — to put the helm hard, or regulate the sail, to prevent pitching when closehauled.

To ease the helm — to put the helm more nearly amidships, to lessen the effect on the ship, or the strain on the wheel rope.

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