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Meaning & use

feeling at ease

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈfiːlɪŋ ət ˈiːz/
US/ˈfiːlɪŋ ət ˈiːz/

Meaning

  1. phraselinking

    feeling calm, relaxed, and not worried or uncomfortable

    Grammar: Used after linking verbs: be at ease, feel at ease, seem at ease. Also in 'put someone at ease'.

    Patterns

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

    After a few minutes of chatting, I began to feel at ease.

    The friendly atmosphere put everyone at ease.

    She is at ease with people she has just met.

Common combinations

put someone at ease
His gentle humor put the nervous speaker at ease.
feel completely at ease
I felt completely at ease in the small group.
at ease with something
He is at ease with new technology.

Synonyms and how they differ

relaxed
More common and informal; 'at ease' often suggests comfort in a social situation.
comfortable
Can be physical or emotional; 'at ease' is mainly about emotional calm.
calm
Focuses on lack of excitement or worry, not necessarily on feeling accepted.

Opposites

ill at easetensenervous

Word family

ease noun
Freedom from difficulty or discomfort; a relaxed state.
ease verb
To make something less severe or to move gently.
easy adjective
Not difficult; also relaxed and comfortable.

Commonly confused: feeling at ease or ill at ease?

feeling at ease vs ill at ease

This means the opposite: uncomfortable and nervous. Don't drop 'ill' if you mean worried.

Practice

The teacher told a joke to put the new students ___ ease.

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