to ease off
9
4.0
- phrasal verb
- /iːz ɔf/
:
aflojar
- You won't have to look bad, just ease off a bit.
- ease off the gas
- ease off the pressure
- ease off a little
You know, I've been trying to ease off vaping and Lucy's Lucy sent me a bunch of gum and I'm looking forward to trying that out.
- You know, I've been trying to ease off vaping and Lucy's Lucy sent me a bunch of gum and I'm looking forward to trying that out.
- Then I would ease off the bed and then then like go over top of her and then go underneath the bed.
Examples
-
I gave his shoe a tap with mine, signaling him to ease off a little.
Fiction book (1996) -
All right, you can ease off the attitude now.
-
We just asked him to ease off some.
-
Until that point, just ease off, all right?
-
You may want to ease off a little.
-
All I could think of was to lie completely still and hope that it would ease off quickly.
Blog text (9) -
Outside, the rain had begun to ease off.
Fiction book (2002) -
After a while, the rain eased off, and the sun broke through.
Fiction book (1999) -
We really should ease off on Marvin here.
-
After a long week of training, you should ease off on your workouts to let your body recover.
Synonyms
594
1.4
To become less angry, excited, or upset
93
4.0
An effect or feeling that becomes less strong and then stops
57
3.7
To make something less strong or strict
54
3.8
To become less strong, especially for bad weather, pain, or pressure
52
3.6
To become less serious or be forgotten over time
49
2.6
Become less in number, amount, or quality
48
6.4
To become less in size, amount, or strength
47
4.8
Become less strong, as with pain, noise, or excitement
46
2.7
To become less strong or loud over time
39
3.7
To relax after a busy or stressful time and slowly come to an end
29
4.8
To move back or become less strong
23
6.8
To become less strong or severe and to make something do the same
21
3.5
To become less in number or amount
18
4.2
To become gradually less in size or amount
9
4.5
To become smaller or weaker over time until it stops
3
3.9
To become less strong or busy
2
3.3
To become less over time
1
5.7
Move, act, or work less quickly and with less energy
To become less strong or active
To flow back or become less strong slowly
To become less strong over time
To lose energy or interest slowly until it fades
Antonyms
How Intense
Surface Forms
Morphology
ease + off
The verb 'ease' means to reduce severity or distress and the particle 'off' conveys removal or diminution; together they literally mean to lessen or reduce intensity. This is a regular verb+particle compositional pattern in English that a B1 learner who knows the constituents can readily infer.
Etymology
Ease off comes from the image of loosening something tight: ease means to make pressure gentler and off shows it moving away, so when pain, pressure, or a storm 'eases off' it slowly becomes less strong.