Meaning & use
easygoing
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Calm and relaxed in manner, rarely worried or annoyed, and willing to accept people and plans as they are.
Grammar: Can come before a noun (an easygoing boss) or after a verb (he is easygoing); also written easy-going.
Patterns
- an easygoing person
- be easygoing about something
My easygoing flatmate never minds when I leave dishes in the sink.
She is easygoing about food and will eat anything.
The easygoing atmosphere of the cafe made everyone relax.
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Too relaxed about rules or standards, so that problems are allowed to continue.
Grammar: Used critically, often about a manager, parent or system.
Patterns
- an easygoing attitude
- too easygoing
The coach was too easygoing, and players kept arriving late.
An easygoing approach to safety can lead to accidents.
Some staff took advantage of her easygoing management style.
Word forms
| comparative | more easygoing |
|---|---|
| superlative | most easygoing |
Common combinations
- easygoing attitude
- His easygoing attitude calmed the whole team.
- easygoing nature
- The dog has an easygoing nature and gets along with everyone.
- easygoing person
- I'm an easygoing person, so choose any restaurant.
- easygoing atmosphere
- The hotel has an easygoing atmosphere.
- pretty easygoing
- My parents are pretty easygoing about curfews.
Synonyms and how they differ
- laid-back
- Laid-back is more casual and slightly more modern, while easygoing is neutral enough for most contexts.
- relaxed
- Relaxed can describe a temporary mood, whereas easygoing describes a lasting personality.
- tolerant
- Tolerant focuses on accepting other people's behavior, while easygoing also includes not worrying about small things.
- placid
- Placid suggests calm and unbothered by anything, and is more often used for animals or water than easygoing.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: easygoing or easy-going vs easygoing?
easygoing vs easy-going vs easygoing
Both spellings are correct; American writing prefers easygoing and British writing often uses easy-going.
Practice
My new manager is very ______, so he never gets angry when someone makes a small mistake.
Choose one answer.
Easygoing means relaxed and tolerant, which fits someone who does not get angry about small errors; the other options describe people who would react more strongly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “easygoing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.