be at ease

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   Feeling calm, comfortable, and not worried or nervous.

   Grammar: Used with 'be', 'feel', 'seem', etc. It is not used before a noun: you cannot say 'an at ease person'.

   Patterns

   • be at ease
   • feel at ease
   • put someone at ease
   • be at ease with someone

   She felt at ease as soon as she met the friendly staff.

   He is never at ease when speaking in public.

   The teacher put the new student at ease with a warm smile.

2. 2phrasefixed phrasemilitary

   Used as a military command to tell soldiers to relax their posture.

   Grammar: Used as a command in the military; often written as 'At ease!' and not used with 'be' in this sense.

   Patterns

   • stand at ease
   • at ease!

   The sergeant told the recruits to stand at ease.

   At ease, soldiers! You can relax now.

Common combinations

feel at ease

I feel at ease when I'm with close friends.

put someone at ease

His sense of humor put everyone at ease.

be at ease with something

She is at ease with modern technology.

stand at ease

The soldiers stood at ease while waiting for orders.

Synonyms and how they differ

relaxed

Describes a calm and unworried state; often used for people or atmospheres, but it is an adjective, not a phrase.

comfortable

Focuses on physical or emotional comfort; can describe things (e.g., a chair) as well as people.

at home

Informal; means feeling comfortable and confident in a place or situation, e.g., 'I feel at home in this city.'

Opposites

Word family

ease noun

The state of being comfortable and without worry or difficulty.

ease verb

To make something less severe or to move gently.

easy adjective

Not difficult; but note that 'at ease' is about comfort, not lack of difficulty.

Commonly confused: be at ease or easy?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “be at ease”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words