Easy word meaning in english

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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.


adjective, eas·i·er [ee-zee-er], /ˈi zi ər/, eas·i·est [ee-zee-ist]. /ˈi zi ɪst/.

not hard or difficult; requiring no great labor or effort:a book that is easy to read; an easy victory.

free from pain, discomfort, worry, or care: He led an easy life.

providing or conducive to ease or comfort; comfortable: an easy stance; an easy relationship.

fond of or given to ease; easygoing: an easy disposition.

not harsh or strict; lenient: an easy master.

not burdensome or oppressive: easy terms on a loan.

not difficult to influence or overcome; compliant: an easy prey; an easy mark.

free from formality, constraint, or embarrassment: He has an easy manner.

effortlessly clear and fluent: an easy style of writing.

readily comprehended or mastered: an easy language to learn.

not tight or constricting: an easy fit.

not forced or hurried; moderate: an easy pace.

not steep; gradual: an easy flight of stairs.

Commerce.

  1. (of a commodity) not difficult to obtain; in plentiful supply and often weak in price.
  2. (of the market) not characterized by eager demand.

Nautical.

  1. (of a bilge) formed in a long curve so as to make a gradual transition between the bottom and sides of a vessel; slack.
  2. (of the run of a hull) having gently curved surfaces leading from the middle body to the stern; not abrupt.

adverb

Informal. in an easy manner; comfortably: to go easy; take it easy.

noun

a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter E.

VIDEO FOR EASY

Why Is The «Easy Way Out» A Bad Thing?

At school or at work or in a competition especially, if someone is taking the easy way out then it’s like they’re being lazy or they’re doing something wrong. Do we get more credit for doing something the hard way than we would the easy way?

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Origin of easy

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English aisie, esy, from Anglo-French (a)eisie, Old French aisié, aised, past participle of aisier to ease

OTHER WORDS FROM easy

eas·y·like, adjectiveo·ver·eas·y, adjective

Words nearby easy

eastward, eastwardly, eastwards, East-West, Eastwood, easy, easy as pie, easy-breezy, easy-care, easy chair, easy come, easy go

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT EASY

What is a basic definition of easy?

Easy describes something that is not difficult and requires little effort. Easy also describes something that is not stressful. Informally, easy means in a comfortable way. Easy has many other senses as an adjective and one as a noun.

The most common sense of easy describes something that is simple and requires very little effort or work. This sense is an antonym of words such as difficult, challenging, or tough. Easily means in a way without difficulty. The word ease can mean a lack of stress or difficulty.

Real-life examples: Many things you might find easy to do were once hard until you learned to do them. Counting to five is easy once you learn to count. Finding the yellow crayon among all the blue crayons is easy once you know your colors. You no longer have to think about how to do these tasks. They are easy for you now.

Used in a sentence: She thought the math test was really easy. 

Easy also describes something that lacks stress or any other sources of discomfort. This sense usually describes a person’s life as being relaxing or free from any problems or worries.

Real-life examples: Pampered pets often lead easy lives of sleeping and eating. When you’re on vacation, life often seems relaxing and easy.

Used in a sentence: He had an easy time at work today because nobody came into the store. 

Easy is used informally to mean comfortably or without much stress or hardship. In formal writing, easily is preferred.

Real-life examples: Teachers will often go easy on students they like, meaning they won’t punish those students as harshly or will make things easier for them. If you are taking it easy, you are lounging around and not trying to work hard. If something comes easy to someone, it means they don’t need much effort to master it or complete it.

Used in a sentence: The manager went easy on the new employee, giving them a gentle warning.

Where does easy come from?

The first records of easy come from around 1150. It ultimately comes from the Old French aisier, meaning “to ease.”

Did you know … ?

How is easy used in real life?

Easy is a common word that is most often used to describe something that doesn’t take much effort or work to do.

I know it’s a really easy thing to do, but I installed a new 2TB SSD into my computer and I’m proud that it recognizes it AND I didn’t mess anything up xD

— Sarah_Nova✫ (@NovaDecoda) November 22, 2020

My cat lives such an easy life, all she does is eat and sleep 🛌

— Abbey💫 (@abbeyyapril) November 20, 2020

Day one training a new hire. I’m not sure how I feel about this new person lol. I went easy on him but next week I’m cracking the whip!!!

— Paul (@PaulKovaleski) May 13, 2020

Try using easy!

Is easy used correctly in the following sentence?

It was so easy for the professional chef to bake a small cake that she barely had to try.

Words related to easy

accessible, clear, effortless, obvious, painless, simple, smooth, straightforward, uncomplicated, comfortable, peaceful, pleasant, quiet, secure, slow, soft, successful, flexible, natural, apparent

How to use easy in a sentence

  • According to Mnuchin, a standalone PPP bill would be the “easiest” way to resume helping businesses.

  • Also, the side handles and lid make carrying it much easier.

  • Second, clinicians and patients should have easy access to that information, including amounts and potential adverse effects.

  • It has fewer options than Zoom, which makes it easier for kids to operate, but it’s even easier to use with these handy shortcuts.

  • Once home values begin a one-way plummet, it’s easy for economists to see how entire communities spin out of control.

  • Talking about death is never easy, but with food, comfort, and familiarity, a new kind of dinner party is making it easier.

  • The first thing they told us was that the traffickers are now using Turkish ports, which are relatively easy to reach from Syria.

  • You know, when I was younger, I used to make problems for myself, like it was too easy.

  • They selected an “easy mark” who turned out to be an off-duty NYC Housing Authority cop named James Carragher.

  • This will make it easy to pour the flour mixture into the stand mixer.

  • A constant sense of easy balance should be developed through poising exercises.

  • Big Reginald took their lives at pool, and pocketed their half-crowns in an easy genial way, which almost made losing a pleasure.

  • The first jolt had like to have shaken me out of my hammock, but afterwards the motion was easy enough.

  • His Indian repute had not preceded him to such degree as to make the way easy for him through the London crowd.

  • The endless miles of railways, the vast apparatus of the factories, the soaring structures of the cities bear easy witness to it.

British Dictionary definitions for easy


adjective easier or easiest

not requiring much labour or effort; not difficult; simplean easy job

free from pain, care, or anxietyeasy in one’s mind

not harsh or restricting; lenienteasy laws

tolerant and undemanding; easy-goingan easy disposition

readily influenced or persuaded; pliantshe was an easy victim of his wiles

not tight or constricting; loosean easy fit

not strained or extreme; moderate; gentlean easy pace; an easy ascent

economics

  1. readily obtainable
  2. (of a market) characterized by low demand or excess supply with prices tending to fallCompare tight (def. 10)

informal ready to fall in with any suggestion made; not predisposedhe is easy about what to do

slang sexually available

easy on the eye informal pleasant to look at; attractive, esp sexually

woman of easy virtue a sexually available woman, esp a prostitute

adverb

informal in an easy or relaxed manner

easy does it informal go slowly and carefully; be careful

go easy on

  1. to use in moderation
  2. to treat leniently

stand easy military a command to soldiers standing at ease that they may relax further

take it easy

  1. to avoid stress or undue hurry
  2. to remain calm; not become agitated or angry

verb easies, easying or easied

Also: easy-oar (usually imperative) to stop rowing

Word Origin for easy

C12: from Old French aisié, past participle of aisier to relieve, ease

usage for easy

Easy is not used as an adverb by careful speakers and writers except in certain set phrases: to take it easy; easy does it. Where a fixed expression is not involved, the usual adverbial form of easily is preferred: this polish goes on more easily (not easier) than the other

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with easy


In addition to the idioms beginning with easy

  • easy as pie
  • easy come, easy go
  • easy does it
  • easy money
  • easy on the eyes
  • easy sledding
  • easy street, on

also see:

  • breathe easy
  • free and easy
  • get off (easy)
  • go easy
  • let someone down easy
  • on easy street
  • take it easy

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Adjective



It’s surprisingly easy to use.



It was an easy decision to make.



They scored an easy goal late in the game.



It wasn’t easy for her to leave home.



There are no easy solutions to this problem.



He’s had an easy life.



This new schedule should make our lives easier.



I hope this will make things easier for you.



I won’t feel easy until I know that she arrived safely.

Adverb



He just wants to take life easy now.



we can make the trip in four hours easy

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Recent Examples on the Web



Although more women are finding themselves in executive positions, the pathway to get there isn’t always easy.


Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2023





Plus, cleanup is easy—simply use soap and water.


Barbara Bellesi Zito, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Mar. 2023





With all this rain Portland has been getting, hiding eggs in lush tall grass should be easy this Easter.


oregonlive, 29 Mar. 2023





Getting an extension to file is easy.


Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2023





Being a nomad isn’t easy psychologically or emotionally.


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Staying in touch from afar wasn’t easy.


Francesca Street, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023





To be sure, there’s been drilling in the frigid North Sea for decades, but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy.


IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2023





Finding your way out of life’s mirror maze is never easy.


Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2023




The Mean Left Hook is made for the Instagram age, but also tastes good and goes down easy, mixing rhum agricole, green Chartreuse, coconut, pineapple and lime.


Emma Balter, Chron, 23 Mar. 2023





Stick to groceries that will go down easy.


Maggie O’neill, SELF, 22 Mar. 2023





Made with omega-3, omega-6, omega-7, and omega-9 fatty acids, plus Vitamin E and B12, these easy-to-take gummies are an ideal way to get an important omega supplement into your body without having to worry about a pill or messy liquid concentrate.


Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2023





Nearly three and a half years in the making—construction began on the same day as California’s stay-at-home orders in 2020—Hayslett surprisingly recounts this project as one of her most easy-going.


Kate Mcgregor, ELLE Decor, 16 Mar. 2023





Leave your easy-going side behind for the time being — instead, roll up your sleeves and prepare to dive deep.


Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2023





Known for its friendly, easy-going surf crowd, Grandview is accessible to surfers of all levels with mellow waves that arrive nonstop from any swell direction.


Karen Ruffini, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2023





The IndyCar veteran, whose changes to his mental approach ushered in an easy-going attitude and an even more refined race weekend focus, leaned heavily on those tools at home this week, as well as a dedicated family support system.


Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Mar. 2023





As Camila in the series, Morrone dresses much like the young actress Ali MacGraw, her ankle-length maxi dresses swatched in vibrant but easy-going prints.


Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 3 Mar. 2023



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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘easy.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englisheasyeas‧y1 /ˈiːzi/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective (comparative easier, superlative easiest)
 
 
1 NEARnot difficult not difficult to do, and not needing much effort OPP difficult, hard
 The test was easy.

 Finishing the task will not be easy.

 There must be an easier way to do that.
easy to do something
 It’s a great car, and very easy to drive.

 instructions that are easy to follow

 It would have been easy for the team to lose the game.
make it easier (to do something)
 The software makes it easier to download music.

 Having you here does make things a lot easier for me.
as easy as pie/ABC/falling off a log (=very easy)
 The station is within easy reach of (=close to) the town centre.

 The park is within easy walking distance (=close enough to walk to).
2 comfortable comfortable or relaxed, and without problems OPP hard
 On the whole, Dad has had an easy life.
easy day/week etc
 She had a nice easy day at home.

 You can have an easy time of it now that the kids have all left home.

 Why don’t we make life easy for ourselves and finish it tomorrow?


3 not worriedRELAXED not feeling worried or anxious OPP uneasy
 We talk more openly when we feel easy and relaxed.

 I can leave the children with my mother with an easy mind.
4 friendly friendly and pleasant with other people
 She is gentle and easy to be with.
5 easily attackedATTACK able to be hunted or attacked without difficulty
 The soldiers on the streets are an easy target for terrorists.

 Tourists are easy prey for thieves.
6 take the easy way out7 have an easy time (of it)8 easy money9 easy on the eye/ear10 it’s/that’s easy for you to say11 there are no easy answers12 I’m easy 13 be (living) on easy street14 on easy terms


15 eggs over easy16 woman/lady/girl of easy virtue17 sex informalSY someone, especially a woman, who is easy has a lot of sexual partners see also ease1, easilyTHESAURUSeasy not difficult to do, and not needing much effortan easy taskThe house was easy to find.simple easy and not complicated – used about things such as instructions and explanations, or about machines and systemsThe system is relatively simple to operate.a simple recipe for chocolate cakestraightforward easy to understand or do, and unlikely to cause you any problemsa straightforward explanationThe calculation is fairly straightforward.user-friendly easy to use – used especially about computers or written information about how to do somethingTheir website is very user-friendly.a user-friendly guide to owning a dogundemanding easy because it does not take a lot of effortIt was an undemanding role for someone of his experience.cushy /ˈkʊʃi/ informal a cushy job is easy to do and needs very little effort – often used when you are envious of the person who has itIt’s a pretty cushy job – all she has to do is drive a nice car around.a cushy number (=a very easy job)mindless so easy that you can do it without thinking – used especially when it makes you feel boredmindless taskspainless without any difficulties or problems – used especially when you expected something to be much worse Finding the carhire place at the airport was relatively painless. Thankfully, there’s a wide selection of search tools to make the task relatively painless. be plain sailing British English, be smooth sailing American English to be easy and with no problems that you have to deal withThings should be plain sailing from now on.informal phrases meaning very easybe a piece of cake informal to be very easy to do, especially compared to doing something elseThis test was a piece of cake compared to the last one.be child’s play informal to be surprisingly easy, or much easier than something else which is very difficult or dangerousGetting people’s credit card details is child’s play when you know how to do it.Climbing in England is child’s play compared to climbing in the Himalayas.be a breeze informal (also be a doddle British English) to be very easy to doThe software is a doddle to use.The check-in process was a breeze.it’s not rocket science informal used when saying that something is very easy to do or understand, and you do not need to be intelligent to do itMaking your PC run faster isn’t exactly rocket science.


Examples from the CorpuseasySusan’s always found school work easy.The questions were really easy.Being a teacher isn’t easy.With the use of oil as a transport fuel for cars, things are not so easy.Was it easy for you to find a job?He has lived an easy life in college for the last few years.I think Paul’s had a pretty easy life.Lawyers really have it easy — lots of money for very little work.The Merrimac laid off at easy point-blank range, discharging her broadsides alternately at the Cumberland and the Congress.As on Suilven, the ridge dips to an easy saddle and rises to an east top.This is of course very easy since what the spreadsheet has stored in cells C and D is a time serial number.Ms. Morrell is a small woman with a soft voice and an easy smile.Mr. Taylor is an easy teacher.This is not an easy time to be traveling.The Bit Shot is also quiet, lightweight and easy to handle.Microsoft is a longer name, yet still easy to pronounce, and described the software product perfectly.All the instructions are in large print to make them easy to read.It was easy to see that he was clever and well read, but he was also boring.It is easy to see why she didn’t marry him.He doesn’t find it easy to talk about his personal feelings.There’s no easy way to solve this problem.


easy to do somethingWithin this range, it is relatively easy to achieve off-line training, convergence, and modification.The decision should be made in the first instance as if it were easy to be made.It was easy to coax him into talking about pleasant things, that was part of his job.They will be relatively easy to dispose of once the big warrens have been worked out and closed down.Electrical recording has made this fatally easy to do: much easier than confiding to a written diary.One simple solution which is easy to interpret is obtained by requiring that each term in the wave equation is separately zero.Sometimes the lavas are hard and dense, broken but in place and easy to pick up with the manipulator.Also has an easy to use editor.easy lifeFrom boyhood he disdained an easy life.His forefathers had built the mills, and it hadn’t been a particularly easy life.It was not an easy life.Like Polonius, Amis passed on his secrets to an easy life.Nockerd Sockett had not had an easy life.I agree that it’s not a particularly easy life for most people to support.The easy life he had known seemed to have suddenly stopped. easy to be withIt was so easy to be with Sebastian.easy targetWell, the reader may say, he’s small fry, an easy target.Young people are an easy target.It’s always sad when a figure of fun, an easy target for a laugh, disappears into oblivion.Such an organization would have been an easy target for Labour’s disciplinarians.That makes them easy targets for mining industry recruiters.It was a natural and easy target for newspapers.However, the uniformed, sixteen-legged crocodile was an easy target for ridicule.


easyeasy2 ●●● S2 adverb
 
 
1 take it easy 2 go easy on/with something3 go easy on somebody4 easier said than done5 rest/breathe easy6 easy does it7 get off easy8 easy come, easy go9 stand easy
From Longman Business Dictionaryeasyeas‧y /ˈiːzi/ adjective1(on) easy terms if you buy something on easy terms, you pay for it with several small payments, rather than paying the whole amount at onceFarmers can obtain credit on very easy terms from government sources.2be easier when prices are easier, they are slightly lowerGold was slightly easier yesterday, ending in London at $362.50 an ounce.3on easy street American English informal having all the money you needThe $2 million he has to invest will produce enough money to keep him on easy street for the rest of his life.Origin easy1 (1100-1200) Old French aisié, from aise; → EASE1

Would a ten o’clock appointment be easier for you?

She’s very easy to talk to.

The easiest thing to do would be for us to take the train home.

It isn’t easy being a parent.

informal My car can do 250 kph, easy.


Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples
  • easyI can tell you how to do that — it’s easy!
  • simpleThe recipe is so simple — you just mix all the ingredients together.
  • straightforwardIt seems like a fairly straightforward assignment.
  • a piece of cakeMy last exam was a piece of cake.

See more results »

not difficult to do, or not needing much work

Finding somewhere to live in London isn’t easy.

easy to do:

This cake is very easy to make.

It’s quite an easy game to learn.

it is easy to do something:

It is not always easy to find good teaching materials in this field.

quite/fairly/relatively easy:

I’ll show you how to work the till – it’s quite easy.

an easy way to do something:

The easiest way to get to Hertford is on the train.

make something easy:

We all thought computers would make our jobs easier.

Listen 🔉 Read 🔎 Repeat 🔁

Verbs with example phrase (with audio Mp3)
be 🙂 Be happy.
have 🖐️ Have a good day.
do 💪 Do the work.
say 🗨️ Say, “Hello.”
get 🛠️ Get to work.
make 👩‍🍳 Make some food.
go 🛵 Go for a drive.
know 🎓 I know a lot.
take 🎫 Take a number.
see 👓 I can see.
come 🧲 Come to me.
think 🤔 I think so.
look 👀 Look at that.
want 😋 I want to eat.
give 🎁 Give me a gift.
use 🍴 Use a fork.
find 🔍 Find the answer.
tell 🎤 Tell your story.
ask 🙋 Ask a question.
work 🔨 I work hard.
seem 🤔 You seem lost.
feel 🤗 I feel happy.
try 😣 Try again.
leave 🚶‍♂️ I will leave.
call 📱 Call me.

Listen 🔉 Read 🔎 Repeat 🔁

Nouns with example phrase (with audio Mp3)
person 😃 This person is happy.
man 👨 The man is nice.
woman 👩 The woman is young.
child 🧒 The child is small.
time The time is 7am.
year 🎉 The year is 2019.
week 📅 A week is 7 days.
day 📆 This is a good day.
way 🛣️ Come this way.
thing What is that thing?
world 🌎 The world is big.
life ⚕️ Life is good.
hand My hand is clean.
part 🧩 I like this part.
eye 👁️ My eye is open.
place 🗺️ This is the place.
work 🔨 My work is important.
case 📁 USCIS case number
point 📌 I see your point.
government 🏛️ I like the government.
company 🏭 Her company is new.
number 🔢 This is my number.
group 👨‍👩‍👦 The group is big.
problem 🤦 I have a problem.
fact 📚 That is a fact.

Listen 🔉 Read 🔎 Repeat 🔁

Adjectives with example phrase (audio Mp3)
good 👍 Good work.
new 🌅 It is a new day.
first 🥇 This is my first job.
last 🤷 That was last time.
long ✈️ It was a long way.
great 👷‍♀️ She is a great boss.
little 🚗 I have a little car.
own 🏠 I want my own home.
other 🏨 I like the other place.
old 🏚️ It is an old house.
right 📲 This is the right number.
big 👪 It was a big group.
high 🔢 It is a high number.
different I have a different time.
small 🌎 It is a small world.
large 🏬 That is a large place.
next 📅 That is next week.
early 🤤 I like early lunch.
young 🧒 He is a young child.
important 👩‍✈️ She is an important person.
few 🗓️ Give me a few days.
public 🏞️ It is a public place.
bad 😥 You have a bad problem.
same ⏲️ Come at the same time.
able 🧰 I am able to work.

Listen 🔉 Read 🔎 Repeat 🔁

Prepositions with example phrase (audio Mp3)
to Go to work
of a lot of people
in Get in place
for Come for the day
on Be on time
with Stay with my child
at Good at work
by Wait by the car
from I am from New York
up Go up to the place
about Tell me about life
into Come into work soon
over Go over there next week
after Call me after work

Listen 🔉 Read 🔎 Repeat 🔁

Other common vocabulary – with example phrase
the the child
and man and woman
a a day
that that place
I I like you
it It is nice.
not Not my place
he He is nice.
as as a child
you You are nice
this This is the place
but But not today
his His car
they They are here
her Her mother
she She is nice
or Yes or no
an an eye for an eye
will I will call you
my My first job.
one One at a time
all All the same
would I would like that
there There is a place to stay
their Their home is nice

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