ease
n 1: freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort: "he rose
through the ranks with apparent ease"; "they put it into
containers for ease of transportation" [syn: {easiness},
{simplicity}] [ant: {difficulty}]
2: a freedom from financial difficulty that promotes a
comfortable state: "a life of luxury and ease"; "he had
all the material comforts of this world" [syn: {comfort}]
3: the condition of being comfortable or relieved (especially
after being relieved of distress); "he enjoyed his relief
from responsibility"; "getting it off his conscience gave
him some ease" [syn: {relief}]
4: freedom from constraint or embarrassment; "I am never at
ease with strangers" [syn: {informality}]
5: freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility);
"took his repose by the swimming pool" [syn: {rest}, {repose},
{relaxation}]
v 1: move gently or carefully; "He eased himself into the chair"
2: ease physically [syn: {comfort}]
3: make easier; "you could facilitate the process by sharing
youor knowledge" [syn: {facilitate}, {alleviate}]
4: lessen the intensity of; calm; as of of anxieties and fears
[syn: {still}, {allay}, {relieve}]