Easy Definition

ēzē
easier, easiest
adjective
easier, easiest
Capable of being accomplished or acquired with ease; posing no difficulty.
An easy victory; an easy problem.
American Heritage
That can be done, gotten, mastered, endured, etc. with ease; not difficult; not exacting.
Webster's New World
Characterized by insufficient effort or thought.
A politician's easy answers to complex questions.
Webster's New World
Likely to happen by accident or without intention.
It's easy to slip on the wet floor. It's easy to push the wrong button.
American Heritage
Requiring or exhibiting little effort or endeavor; undemanding.
Took the easy way out of her problems; wasn't satisfied with easy answers.
American Heritage
adverb
Without haste or agitation.
Relax and take it easy for a while.
American Heritage
Easily.
Webster's New World
Slowly and carefully.
Webster's New World
In a restrained or moderate manner.
Go easy on the butter.
American Heritage
Without much hardship or cost.
Got off easy with only a small fine.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
idiom
easy as pie
  • Capable of being accomplished or done with no difficulty.
American Heritage
easy come, easy go
  • gotten and spent or lost with equal ease
Webster's New World
easy does it!
  • be careful! go slowly! etc.
Webster's New World
easy on the eyes
  • pleasant to look at; attractive
Webster's New World
go easy on
  • to use or consume with restraint

    go easy on the table salt

  • to deal with leniently

    to go easy on traffic violators

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Easy

Adjective

Base Form:
easy
Comparative:
easier
Superlative:
easiest

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Easy

Origin of Easy

  • From Middle English eesy, esy, partly from Middle English ese (“ease”) + -y, equivalent to ease +‎ -y, and partly from Old French aisié (“eased, at ease, at leisure”), past participle of aisier (“to put at ease”), from aise (“empty space, elbow room, opportunity”), of uncertain origin. See ease. Merged with Middle English ethe, eathe (“not difficult, easy”), from Old English ēaþe, īeþe (“easy, smooth, not difficult”), from Proto-Germanic *auþaz, *auþijaz (“easy, pleasing”), from *auþiz (“vacant, empty”), from Proto-Indo-European *aut- (“empty, lonely”). Compare also Old Saxon ōþi (“easy, vacant, empty”), Old High German ōdi (“easy, effortless, vacant, empty”), Old Norse auðr (“easy, vacant, empty”). More at ease, eath.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English esi from Old French aaisie past participle of aaisier to put at ease a- to (from Latin ad- ad-) aise ease ease

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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