easy

1 of 2

adjective

easier; easiest
1
a
: causing or involving little difficulty or discomfort
within easy reach
b
: requiring or indicating little effort, thought, or reflection
easy clichés
2
a
: not severe : lenient
hopes they'll be easy on him
b
: not steep or abrupt
easy slopes
c
: not difficult to endure or undergo
an easy penalty
d
: readily taken advantage of
an easy target for takeovers
an easy mark for con men
e(1)
: readily available
easy pickings
(2)
: plentiful in supply at low or declining interest rates
easy money
(3)
: less in demand and usually lower in price
bonds were easier
f
: pleasant
easy listening
g
: sexually promiscuous
3
a
: marked by peace and comfort
the easy life of a courtier
b
: not hurried or strenuous
an easy pace
4
a
: free from pain, annoyance, or anxiety
did all she could to make him easier
b
: marked by social ease
an air of easy assurance
c
: easygoing
an easy disposition
5
a
: giving ease, comfort, or relaxation
b
: not burdensome or straitened
bought on easy terms
c
: fitting comfortably : allowing freedom of movement
easy jackets
d
: marked by ready facility
an easy flowing style
e
: felt or attained to readily, naturally, and spontaneously
an easy smile
easiness noun

easy

2 of 2

adverb

easier; easiest
1
: easily sense 1
promises come easy
2
: without undue speed or excitement
take it easy
3
a
: without worry or care
rest easy
b
: without a severe penalty
got off easy
c
: without violent movement
the boat rode easy
4
: easily sense 2
cost $500 easy
Choose the Right Synonym for easy

easy, facile, simple, light, effortless, smooth mean not demanding effort or involving difficulty.

easy is applicable either to persons or things imposing tasks or to activity required by such tasks.

an easy college course

facile often adds to easy the connotation of undue haste or shallowness.

facile answers to complex questions

simple stresses ease in understanding or dealing with because complication is absent.

a simple problem in arithmetic

light stresses freedom from what is burdensome.

a light teaching load

effortless stresses the appearance of ease and usually implies the prior attainment of artistry or expertness.

moving with effortless grace

smooth stresses the absence or removal of all difficulties, hardships, or obstacles.

a smooth ride

synonyms see in addition comfortable

Examples of easy in a Sentence

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
This was a conscious decision to pivot, whereas what may have been easier was to bring on board an Ozzy-soundalike and attempt to replicate the sounds of a bygone era. Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024 Pets can make a house a home, but stopping your cats from scratching the furniture isn’t always easy. Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 This shower curtain features water-repellant, polyester fabric that is machine washable, so preventing mold and mildew is easy. Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2024 The scales are relatively easy for people to understand and don't require much, if any, translation when used for the appropriate patient. Jenny Sweigard, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2024 But hiring foreign workers in large numbers may not be easy. Diksha Madhok, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are tied for the easiest schedule with an opponent win percentage of 0.453. Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Client data protection is not easy, and introducing new measures is a constant work in progress that requires monitoring for new practices and dangers. Oleksandr Strozhemin, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 The state’s byzantine merit hiring process doesn’t make the task any easier. Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, 22 Feb. 2024
Adverb
Find it on Amazon Organize the Carry-on With This Travel Jewelry Box Make taking jewelry on the go easy with this travel jewelry box that has multiple compartments to keep things from getting tangled in transit. Taylor Gumm, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2024 While Instant Pots makes cooking easy, note that some of the ingredients listed may be expensive or hard to come by. L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Feb. 2024 Select: Online Shopping, Simplified Make Valentine’s Day shopping easy by browsing these 24 standout gift options on Amazon. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2024 The Ohio State Buckeyes weren't going to go down easy. Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Volume and input information is displayed on a small screen and the electronic speed selector makes switching between 33 and 45 RPM records easy. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Nothing easy inside the arc: OU ranks No. 9 in opponent two-point percentage, limiting teams to just 28.9% shooting inside the arc. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2024 It’s outfitted with an ergonomic handle that makes transferring dishes from the stove to oven to table easy, and the wide interior surface area gives stir-fries ample room for searing and browning. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2024 The Bjork Maja clogs have an open-back style that makes getting ready so easy. Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024

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.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English esy, from Anglo-French eisé, aasié, past participle of eiser, aaisier to ease, from a- ad- (from Latin ad-) + eise ease

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of easy was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near easy

Cite this Entry

“Easy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/easy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

easy

1 of 2 adjective
easier; easiest
1
: not hard to do or get : not difficult
an easy lesson
2
a
: not hard to please : lenient
an easy teacher
b
: not steep
easy slopes
3
a
: free from pain, trouble, or worry
b
: not hurried : leisurely
an easy pace
4
: not false or strained : natural
an easy manner
5
: giving relaxation and comfort
an easy chair
easiness noun

easy

2 of 2 adverb
easier; easiest
1
: easily sense 1
take life easy
2
: with slow care : cautiously
go easy

More from Merriam-Webster on easy

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