Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
easy - 5 dictionary results

eas⋅y

[ee-zee] adjective, eas⋅i⋅er, eas⋅i⋅est, adverb, noun
–adjective
1. not hard or difficult; requiring no great labor or effort: a book that is easy to read; an easy victory.
2. free from pain, discomfort, worry, or care: He led an easy life.
3. providing or conducive to ease or comfort; comfortable: an easy stance; an easy relationship.
4. fond of or given to ease; easygoing: an easy disposition.
5. not harsh or strict; lenient: an easy master.
6. not burdensome or oppressive: easy terms on a loan.
7. not difficult to influence or overcome; compliant: an easy prey; an easy mark.
8. free from formality, constraint, or embarrassment: He has an easy manner.
9. effortlessly clear and fluent: an easy style of writing.
10. readily comprehended or mastered: an easy language to learn.
11. not tight or constricting: an easy fit.
12. not forced or hurried; moderate: an easy pace.
13. not steep; gradual: an easy flight of stairs.
14. Commerce.
a. (of a commodity) not difficult to obtain; in plentiful supply and often weak in price.
b. (of the market) not characterized by eager demand.
15. Nautical.
a. (of a bilge) formed in a long curve so as to make a gradual transition between the bottom and sides of a vessel; slack.
b. (of the run of a hull) having gently curved surfaces leading from the middle body to the stern; not abrupt.
–adverb
16. Informal. in an easy manner; comfortably: to go easy; take it easy.
–noun
17. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter E.

Origin:
1150–1200; ME aisie, esy < AF (a)eisie, OF aisié, aised, ptp. of aisier to ease


eas⋅y⋅like, adjective


2. tranquil, untroubled, comfortable, contented, quiet. 8. smooth, unconstrained.


1. difficult. 2. agitated. 3. uncomfortable.
eas·y   (ē'zē)   
adj.   eas·i·er, eas·i·est
  1. Capable of being accomplished or acquired with ease; posing no difficulty: an easy victory; an easy problem.
  2. Requiring or exhibiting little effort or endeavor; undemanding: took the easy way out of her problems; wasn't satisfied with easy answers.
  3. Free from worry, anxiety, trouble, or pain: My mind was easy, knowing that I had done my best.
    1. Affording comfort or relief; soothing: soft light that was easy on the eyes.
    2. Prosperous; well-off: easy living; easy circumstances.
    3. Relaxed in attitude; easygoing: an easy disposition.
    4. Not strict or severe; lenient: an easy teacher; easy standards.
    5. Not hurried or forced; moderate: an easy pace; an easy walk around the block.
    6. Light; gentle: an easy tap on the shoulder.
    7. Less in demand and therefore readily obtainable: Commodities are easier this quarter.
    8. Plentiful and therefore at low interest rates: easy money.
  4. Causing little hardship or distress: an easy penalty; a habit that isn't easy to give up.
  5. Socially at ease: an easy, good-natured manner.
    1. Relaxed in attitude; easygoing: an easy disposition.
    2. Not strict or severe; lenient: an easy teacher; easy standards.
    3. Not hurried or forced; moderate: an easy pace; an easy walk around the block.
    4. Light; gentle: an easy tap on the shoulder.
    5. Less in demand and therefore readily obtainable: Commodities are easier this quarter.
    6. Plentiful and therefore at low interest rates: easy money.
  6. Readily exploited, imposed on, or tricked: an easy mark; an easy victim.
    1. Not hurried or forced; moderate: an easy pace; an easy walk around the block.
    2. Light; gentle: an easy tap on the shoulder.
    3. Less in demand and therefore readily obtainable: Commodities are easier this quarter.
    4. Plentiful and therefore at low interest rates: easy money.
  7. Not steep or abrupt; gradual: an easy climb.
  8. Economics
    1. Less in demand and therefore readily obtainable: Commodities are easier this quarter.
    2. Plentiful and therefore at low interest rates: easy money.
  9. Promiscuous; loose.
adv.  
  1. Without haste or agitation: Relax and take it easy for a while.
  2. With little effort; easily: success that came too easy.
  3. In a restrained or moderate manner: Go easy on the butter.
  4. Without much hardship or cost: got off easy with only a small fine.

[Middle English esi, from Old French aaisie, past participle of aaisier, to put at ease : a-, to (from Latin ad-, ad-) + aise, ease; see ease.]
eas'i·ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean requiring little effort or posing little if any difficulty. Easy applies to tasks that require little effort: "The diagnosis of disease is often easy, often difficult, and often impossible" (Peter M. Latham).
Simple implies a lack of complexity that facilitates understanding or performance: "the faculty ... of reducing his thought on any subject to the simplest and plainest terms possible" (Baron Charnwood).
Facile stresses readiness and fluency: a facile speaker.
Often, though, the word implies glibness or insincerity, superficiality, or lack of care: an explanation too facile for complex events.
Effortless refers to performance in which the application of great strength or skill makes the execution seem easy: wrote effortless prose.

Easy

Eas"y\, a. [Compar. Easier; superl. Easiest.] [OF. aisi['e], F. ais['e], prop. p. p. of OF. aisier. See Ease, v. t.]

1. At ease; free from pain, trouble, or constraint; as: (a) Free from pain, distress, toil, exertion, and the like; quiet; as, the patient is easy. (b) Free from care, responsibility, discontent, and the like; not anxious; tranquil; as, an easy mind. (c) Free from constraint, harshness, or formality; unconstrained; smooth; as, easy manners; an easy style. "The easy vigor of a line." --Pope.

2. Not causing, or attended with, pain or disquiet, or much exertion; affording ease or rest; as, an easy carriage; a ship having an easy motion; easy movements, as in dancing. "Easy ways to die." --Shak.

3. Not difficult; requiring little labor or effort; slight; inconsiderable; as, an easy task; an easy victory.

It were an easy leap. --Shak.

4. Causing ease; giving freedom from care or labor; furnishing comfort; commodious; as, easy circumstances; an easy chair or cushion.

5. Not making resistance or showing unwillingness; tractable; yielding; complying; ready.

He gained their easy hearts. --Dryden.

He is too tyrannical to be an easy monarch. --Sir W. Scott.

6. Moderate; sparing; frugal. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

7. (Com.) Not straitened as to money matters; as, the market is easy; -- opposed to tight.

Honors are easy (Card Playing), said when each side has an equal number of honors, in which case they are not counted as points.

Syn: Quiet; comfortable; manageable; tranquil; calm; facile; unconcerned.
Language Translation for : easy
Spanish: fácil,
German: leicht,
Japanese: 容易な

easy 
c.1200, "at ease," from O.Fr. aisie, pp. of aisier "to put at ease," from aise (see ease). Sense of "not difficult to deal with" is c.1340; of conditions, "comfortable," c.1380. The concept of "not difficult" was expressed in O.E. and early M.E. by eaþe (adv.), ieþe (adj.), apparently common W.Gmc., but of disputed origin. Easy-chair is from 1707; easy-going is from 1649, originally of horses. Easy Street first printed 1901 in "Peck's Red-Headed Boy." Easy rider (1912) was U.S. black slang for "sexually satisfying lover." The easy listening radio format is from 1965, defined by William Safire (in 1986) as, "the music of the 60's played in the 80's with the style of the 40's."

easy

In addition to the idioms beginning with easy, also see breathe easy; free and easy; get off (easy); go easy; let someone down easy; on easy street; take it easy.

Search another word or see easy on Thesaurus | Reference