ease

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
ease/iːz/

▶noun absence of difficulty or effort.

■ freedom from worries or problems.

▶verb

• 1 make or become less serious or severe.

  ■ make (something) easier; facilitate.

• 2 move carefully or gradually.

• 3 (ease off/up) do something with more moderation.

  ■ (ease something away/down/off) Nautical slacken a rope or sail slowly or gently.

• 4 (of share prices, interest rates, etc.) decrease in value or amount.

– phrases
at (one's) ease relaxed.

■ (at ease) Military in a relaxed attitude with the feet apart and the hands behind the back.

– derivatives
easeful adjective (literary),
easer noun.

– origin ME: from OFr. aise, based on L. adjacens, adjacere ‘lie close by’.