# ease

> English word · Noun · IPA /iːz/ · frequency rank #4,015

## Definitions
1. Lack of difficulty; the ability to do something easily.
2. Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness
3. Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness
4. Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness
5. Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness
6. Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness
7. Relief, an end to discomfort
8. Relief, an end to discomfort
9. Relief, an end to discomfort
10. Relief, an end to discomfort
11. A convenience; a luxury.
12. A relief; an easement.

## Etymology
From Middle English ese, eise, aise, from Anglo-Norman ese (“ease”), from Old French eise, aise (“elbow room; opportunity”), of uncertain and obscure origin. Apparently related to Provençal ais, Italian agio and asio, Sicilian aciu and Portuguese azo. Sometimes ascribed to Vulgar Latin *āsia or *āsium, possibly from Latin ānsa (“handle, haft”) or Frankish *ansiju (“handle, loophole, eyelet; cup-handle; arms akimbo, elbow room”), but more often derived from Vulgar Latin *adjace(m), from Latin adjacēns (“adjacent, neighbouring”), present participle of adjaceō (“lie next to, border on”), though the forms and senses are difficult to trace clearly.
Alternatively, possibly from a non-Latin source such as Germanic or Celtic on the basis of the conflicting forms which appear in various Romance languages. Compare Old English īeþe (“easy”), Gothic 𐌰𐌶𐌴𐍄𐌹 (azēti, “ease; pleasure”), *𐌰𐌶𐌴𐍄𐍃 (*azēts, “easy”), Breton eaz, ez (“easy”), Irish adhais (“easy; leisure”). See also eath.
The verb is from Middle English esen, ultimately of the same origin.

## Easily confused with
- **ES** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-es)
- **ee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-ee)
- **eat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-eat)
- **eye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-eye)
- **eve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-eve)
- **est** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-est)
- **EPS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-eps)
- **EMS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-ems)
- **ESA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-esa)
- **Eos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-eos)
- **ERS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-ers)
- **eau** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-eau)
- **ere** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-ere)
- **ESL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-esl)
- **ETS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-ets)
- **ESC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-esc)
- **ese** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-ese)
- **exe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-exe)
- **els** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-els)
- **ele** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ease-vs-ele)

## Common misspellings (4)
`aese`, `eaes`, `easse`, `esae`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ease