SuaviloquyToday’s word

easy

Easy, a. [Compar. Easier; superl. Easiest.]

Etymology: [OF. aisié, F. aisé, prop. p. p. of OF. aisier. See Ease, v. t.]

1. At ease; free from pain, trouble, or constraint; as: (a) Free from pain, distress, toil, exertion, and the like; quiet; as, the patient is easy. (b) Free from care, responsibility, discontent, and the like; not anxious; tranquil; as, an easy mind. (c) Free from constraint, harshness, or formality; unconstrained; smooth; as, easy manners; an easy style. "The easy vigor of a line." Pope.

2. Not causing, or attended with, pain or disquiet, or much exertion; affording ease or rest; as, an easy carriage; a ship having an easy motion; easy movements, as in dancing. "Easy ways to die." Shak.

3. Not difficult; requiring little labor or effort; slight; inconsiderable; as, an easy task; an easy victory. It were an easy leap. Shak.

4. Causing ease; giving freedom from care or labor; furnishing comfort; commodious; as, easy circumstances; an easy chair or cushion.

5 more senses

5. Not making resistance or showing unwillingness; tractable; yielding; complying; ready. He gained their easy hearts. Dryden. He is too tyrannical to be an easy monarch. Sir W. Scott.

6. Moderate; sparing; frugal. [Obs.] Chaucer.

7. (Com.)

Not straitened as to money matters; as, the market is easy; -- opposed to tight. Honors are easy (Card Playing), said when each side has an equal number of honors, in which case they are not counted as points.

Syn. -- Quiet; comfortable; manageable; tranquil; calm; facile; unconcerned.

Shades of meaning

Fernald lists easy only as an antonym, under difficult, severe, steep.

He lists it without comment; the entries above explain its neighbors.

Synonyms

none given