at ease

phrase

1

: free from pain or discomfort

2

a

: free from restraint or formality

feels most at ease with old friends

b

: standing silently (as in a military formation) with the feet apart, the right foot in place, and one or both hands behind the body

—often used as a command

Examples of at ease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sidewalks, footbridges, crosswalks, parks, esplanades, car-free plazas — just about every public space where pedestrians should feel at ease has been infested by a chaotic swarm of vehicles, both electrified and not. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2026

Nowadays, Wolf, sporting an orange hoodie and camo cap adorned with a prize ribbon and taking in the early smell of New York City fall, is much more at ease. — Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2026

Invitation dos and don’ts A party host’s job is to make guests feel important, happy and at ease, Meier and Jokilehto said. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

While exploring the neighborhood, his dog, Betty, took off and sprinted through the open door of an empty house, sniffing around yet completely at ease. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for at ease

• agrees
• appease
• bougies
• burmese
• chemise
• chickpeas
• chinese
• cowpeas
• curies
• decrees
• degrees
• disease