at ease
117
1.7
- idiom
- After a long day, he finally sat down and felt completely at ease in his favorite chair.
- feel at ease
- put people at ease
- set people at ease
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Watch on YouTubeJust be at ease in the present moment.
- Just be at ease in the present moment.
- May you be happy and peaceful, at ease, may be held in love.
- I feel comfortable, I feel at ease, I feel safe and I feel content.
- If you do this properly, this should set your mind at ease.
- Like there, there has to be some version where your body doesn't feel at ease.
- And I watch Gary a lot, not for the content itself, but for that idea of being at ease while everyone thinks you're not.
Examples
-
Since I turned 40, I feel more at ease with myself.
Academic text (2005) -
The second was slightly more at ease after realizing that the Harpers did not plan to kill him.
Fiction book (1992) -
And you just make people feel at ease and yeah, so comfortable.
-
Just be at ease in the present moment.
-
I feel comfortable, I feel at ease, I feel safe and I feel content.
-
The students seemed to feel more at ease with the technology, actually seeing it in action.
Academic text (2012) -
I have never been happier or more at ease in my life.
Fiction book (1993) -
We were a block from the ferry, at ease with each other, at ease in our city.
Academic text (1998) -
When we are experiencing belonging, we feel in flow, like we feel at ease, we feel safe.
-
Kennedy seemed to be perfectly at ease; the others were awkward.
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
∞
1.6
Feeling relaxed and not worried about people or situations
223
1.0
Feeling happy and relaxed because something bad did not happen
154
3.6
Feeling confident and free from worry or doubt
100
2.1
Calm and free from worry or conflict
82
1.9
Making you feel relaxed and not in pain
5
3.5
Calm and not worried about problems
1
9.9
Being calm and relaxed
1
5.8
Having a calm, relaxed, and graceful way of moving or acting
1
5.6
Feeling calm and confident about who you are
Antonyms
How Relaxed
Surface Forms
Morphology
at + ease
The meaning 'feeling comfortable and relaxed' is directly derivable from 'at' (marking location/state) + 'ease' (freedom from worry or difficulty), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer being 'in a state of ease'. This preposition + noun state construction is common in English and similar patterns occur in many languages, making it readily comprehensible to B1 learners.
Etymology
At ease comes from old army orders that told soldiers they could stop standing very straight and relax. So being told at ease meant 'comfortable' and 'relaxed', and that is why we use at ease today to mean feeling calm and not nervous.