easy

Easy is an English adjective and, less commonly, a noun or adverb in certain idiomatic expressions. It generally describes something that requires little effort, time, or energy to achieve or accomplish. The term can apply to tasks, problems, or situations (for example, a task is easy) and can also describe people or environments as comfortable, relaxed, or agreeable (for example, easygoing or an easy chair). The adverb form easily modifies verbs (walk easily, solved easily), while phrases such as “take it easy” use the word in an idiomatic sense.

Etymology and history: Easy derives from Middle English easie, from Old French aisie (aisé), itself from Latin facilis meaning easy or agreeable. The spelling and pronunciation evolved into the modern form during Early Modern English, with the sense expanding from physical ease to broader figurative meanings.

Usage and nuance: Easy has a broad scope of meaning and is frequently used in everyday speech. It carries positive connotations of simplicity or low effort and can also imply laxity or lack of urgency in certain contexts. It forms comparatives and superlatives as easier and easiest, and participates in numerous compound phrases such as easygoing, easy money, or easy target.

In culture and media: The word easy has been widely used as a title or descriptor in music, film, and literature, reflecting its versatile sense of simplicity, leisure, or accessibility. Works bearing the title “Easy” span various genres and decades, illustrating the term’s broad cultural resonance.

See also: ease, facile, easygoing, easiness.