What does "easy" mean?

1. (not difficult) not difficult to do or understand; requiring little effort. 2. (relaxed) feeling comfortable and not worried. 3. (sexually available) a person who is very willing to have sex with anyone. 4. (financial stability) having enough money to live comfortably. 5. (carefully or slowly) to do something gently or with caution.

easy — meaning, definition & examples

Q: Is it correct to say "It is easy for me doing this."?

No — say "It is easy for me to do this.". The adjective 'easy' is followed by an infinitive (to do), not a gerund (doing).

Word

01not difficult

A1 · Beginner

adj. not difficult to do or understand; requiring little effort.

adj. requiring minimal effort, skill, or cognitive resources to accomplish or comprehend.

“The exam was very easy, so I finished it twenty minutes early.”

“The software provides an easy interface for novice users while maintaining powerful features for professionals.”

Pitfall

It is easy for me doing this.

It is easy for me to do this.

The adjective 'easy' is followed by an infinitive (to do), not a gerund (doing).

Synonyms

simple effortless straightforward

Antonyms

difficult hard challenging

02relaxed

B1 · Intermediate

adj. feeling comfortable and not worried.

adj. characterised by a lack of stress, constraint, or formality; relaxed in manner.

“She has an easy smile that makes everyone feel welcome.”

“After years of high-pressure corporate work, he finally enjoyed an easy life in the countryside.”

Synonyms

relaxed carefree comfortable

Antonyms

tense anxious

03sexually available

C1 · Advanced Informal · Vulgar

adj. a person who is very willing to have sex with anyone.

adj. consenting readily to sexual activity; typically used as a derogatory descriptor for women.

“He made a rude comment about her being easy just because she was friendly.”

“The character was unfairly labelled as easy by her peers, reflecting the double standards of the era.”

Teaching tip

This sense is often offensive and sexist; learners should be aware of its negative connotations and avoid using it to describe people.

Synonyms

promiscuous

04financial stability

C1 · Advanced Finance Formal

adj. having enough money to live comfortably.

adj. pertaining to a state of financial comfort or a market where capital is readily available.

“The family lived in easy circumstances thanks to their successful business.”

“The central bank's policy led to easy credit conditions, encouraging businesses to expand despite the economic uncertainty.”

Synonyms

prosperous stable

Antonyms

tightstraitened

05carefully or slowly

B1 · Intermediate Informal

adv. to do something gently or with caution.

adv. in a relaxed, careful, or gradual manner; often used in imperative constructions.

“Take it easy while your leg is still healing from the injury.”

“Go easy on the salt; the chef already seasoned the soup quite heavily before it left the kitchen.”

Usage

Commonly used in the phrasal expressions 'take it easy' or 'go easy on'.

Synonyms

gently slowly carefully

Antonyms

roughly quickly

From Middle English esy, eesy, partly from Middle English ese (“ease”) + -y, equivalent to ease + -y, and partly from Anglo-Norman eisé from Old French aisié (“eased, at ease, at leisure”), past participle of aisier (“to put at ease”), from aise (“empty space, elbow room, opportunity”), of uncertain origin. See ease. Merged with Middle English ethe, eathe (“easy”), from Old English īeþe, from Proto-Germanic auþuz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éwtus, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- (“to enjoy, consume”). Compare also Old Saxon ōþi, Old High German ōdi, Old Norse auðr, auð-, Icelandic auð (adverb), auð-, all meaning "easy." More at ease, eath.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

ADJECTIVE

easy(A1)

easygoing(B2)

ADVERB

easily(A2)