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adj. eas·i·er, eas·i·est 1. a. Capable of being accomplished or acquired with ease; posing no difficulty: an easy victory; an easy problem. b. 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. 2. Requiring or exhibiting little effort or endeavor; undemanding: took the easy way out of her problems; wasn't satisfied with easy answers. 3. Free from worry, anxiety, trouble, or pain: My mind was easy, knowing that I had done my best. 4. a. Affording comfort or relief; soothing: soft light that was easy on the eyes. b. Prosperous; well-off: easy living; easy circumstances. 5. Causing little hardship or distress: an easy penalty; a habit that isn't easy to give up. 6. Socially at ease: an easy, good-natured manner. 7. a. Relaxed in attitude; easygoing: an easy disposition. b. Not strict or severe; lenient: an easy teacher; easy standards. 8. Readily exploited, imposed on, or tricked: an easy mark; an easy victim. 9. a. Not hurried or forced; moderate: an easy pace; an easy walk around the block. b. Light; gentle: an easy tap on the shoulder. 10. Not steep or abrupt; gradual: an easy climb. 11. Economics a. Less in demand and therefore readily obtainable: Commodities are easier this quarter. b. Plentiful and therefore at low interest rates: easy money. 12. Promiscuous; loose. adv. Idiom: 1. Without haste or agitation: Relax and take it easy for a while. 2. With little effort; easily: success that came too easy. 3. In a restrained or moderate manner: Go easy on the butter. 4. Without much hardship or cost: got off easy with only a small fine. easy as pie Informal Capable of being accomplished or done with no difficulty. [Middle English esi, from Old French aaisie, past participle of aaisier, to put at ease : a-, to (from Latin ad-, ad-) + aise, ease; see EASE.] easi·ness n. Synonyms: easy, simple, facile, effortless These adjectives mean requiring little effort or posing little if any difficulty. Easy applies to tasks that require little effort: a recipe that is easy to prepare; an easy hike around the lake. Simple implies a lack of complexity that facilitates understanding or performance: instructions that are simple to follow; a simple problem that took little time to fix. Facile stresses fluency stemming from preparation: the author's facile use of literary conventions. Often, though, the word implies glibness or insincerity, superficiality, or lack of care: a supervisor's facile dismissal of an employee suggestion. Effortless refers to performance in which the application of great strength or skill makes the execution seem easy: wrote effortless prose. See Also Synonyms at comfortable. |
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