ease
verb/iːz/
/iːz/
Verb Forms
Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they ease | /iːz/ /iːz/ |
| he / she / it eases | /ˈiːzɪz/ /ˈiːzɪz/ |
| past simple eased | /iːzd/ /iːzd/ |
| past participle eased | /iːzd/ /iːzd/ |
| -ing form easing | /ˈiːzɪŋ/ /ˈiːzɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to become less unpleasant, painful or severe; to make something less unpleasant, etc. synonym alleviate
- The pain immediately eased.
- ease something This should help ease the pain.
- The plan should ease traffic congestion in the town.
- It would ease my mind (= make me less worried) to know that she was settled.
Extra Examples- Tensions between the two countries are beginning to ease.
- The situation would be considerably eased if more money were made available.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- considerably
- greatly
- slightly
- …
- help (to)
- begin to
- try to
- …
Definitions on the go
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- [transitive] ease something to make something easier
- Ramps have been built to ease access for people who use wheelchairs.
Extra Examples- They have provided valuable economic aid to ease the transition to a market economy.
- His family connections eased his passage into the top ranks of the industry.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- considerably
- greatly
- slightly
- …
- help (to)
- begin to
- try to
- …
- [intransitive, transitive] to move slowly and carefully; to move somebody/something slowly and carefully
- + adv./prep. He eased slowly forwards.
- ease somebody/something + adv./prep. She eased herself into a chair.
- He eased off (= took off) his shoes.
Extra Examples- I eased myself slowly out of bed.
- Jean eased back on the pillows and relaxed.
- She carefully eased the car out of the garage
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- carefully
- gently
- slowly
- …
- away from
- into
- out of
- …
- [transitive, intransitive] ease (something) to make something less tight and more relaxed; to become less tight and more relaxed synonym relax
- Ease your grip on the wheel a little.
- [intransitive, transitive] ease (something) to become or make something lower in price or value synonym reduce
- Share prices eased back from yesterday's levels.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French aise, based on Latin adjacens ‘lying close by’, present participle of adjacere. The verb is originally from Old French aisier, from the phrase a aise ‘at ease’; in later use from the noun.
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ease