easy

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Not difficult; achieved or done with little effort, skill, or trouble.

   Grammar: Can sit before a noun or after verbs such as be and seem; compare with easier and easiest.

   Patterns

   • be easy to do something
   • easy for someone
   • make something easier
   • an easy way to do something

   The recipe looks easy, but the timing matters.

   She found an easy way to fix the loose hinge.

   Please make the instructions easy for new users to follow.

2. 2adjectivecomparable

   Relaxed, comfortable, or not demanding in manner or conditions.

   Grammar: Often appears before nouns such as life, pace, and manner; not used for task difficulty here.

   Patterns

   • an easy life
   • an easy pace
   • an easy smile

   After years of travel, he wanted an easy routine at home.

   The class had an easy pace, with time for questions.

   Her easy smile helped everyone relax.

3. 3adjectivecomparableinformaldisapproving

   Used of a person, it can mean too ready to agree or sexually available; it may insult.

   Grammar: Predicative and attributive use are possible, but it is risky because it can demean a person.

   Patterns

   • call someone easy
   • be easy on someone

   Calling a coworker easy can sound disrespectful, even as a joke.

   She told him the remark was not a compliment but an insult.

Word forms

Common combinations

easy access

The hotel offers easy access to the train station.

an easy mistake to make

Leaving the cap off is an easy mistake to make when tired.

take it easy

You have a fever, so take it easy today.

make life easier

Labels on each box will make life easier during the move.

easy target

Unlocked bikes are an easy target for thieves.

Synonyms and how they differ

simple

Simple stresses few parts or clear structure; easy stresses little effort or difficulty.

effortless

Effortless often admires smooth skill, while easy is broader and more neutral.

straightforward

Straightforward fits clear procedures or honest people better than relaxed comfort.

Opposites

Word family

easily adverb

with little effort; also very possibly in 'easily the best'.

ease noun/verb

comfort or lack of difficulty; to make something less painful or difficult.

easiness noun

the quality of being easy; less common than ease.

uneasy adjective

worried or not comfortable, the opposite feeling of easy comfort.

Commonly confused: easy or easily?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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