with ease

with ease — idiom

1. In a way that needs little or no effort; happening or being done without any tro

1.idiomB1
Definition

In a way that needs little or no effort; happening or being done without any trouble or struggle.

Example

After six months of lessons, Gabriel could read the local newspaper with ease.

verb + with ease after a period of learning

Mira learned to navigate the city's subway system with ease within her first week.

Common collocations
  • do something with ease
  • handle something with ease
  • win with ease
  • pass with ease
  • adapt with ease
Synonyms
  • easily

    the most direct synonym; can appear before or after the verb

  • effortlessly

    stronger emphasis on the absence of effort

  • without trouble

    more informal, often used in spoken English

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

verb + with ease

Usage Note

This fixed adverbial phrase follows the verb it modifies, not before it. It often implies that the action is simple because of the subject's skill, experience, or natural ability.

Common Mistakes

She with ease finished the test.
She finished the test with ease.
The phrase 'with ease' comes after the verb phrase, not before it.

Synonym discussion

Sense: idiom/1

All four expressions describe doing something with little difficulty, but they differ in tone and position. 'Easily' is the most neutral and flexible — it can sit before or after the verb ('She easily passed the exam' / 'She passed the exam easily'). 'Effortlessly' is more emphatic, suggesting the task costs the person nothing ('The pianist played the difficult piece effortlessly'). 'With ease' is slightly more formal than 'easily' and always follows the verb ('He solved the problem with ease'). 'Without trouble' is the most casual and everyday ('The children set up the tent without any trouble'). 'Smoothly' focuses on the process being uninterrupted rather than effort-free ('The meeting ran smoothly').

easily ↗effortlessly ↗without troublesmoothly ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchLatinEnglish

The phrase 'with ease' combines the preposition 'with' (from Old English 'wiþ') and 'ease', which entered English through Old French 'aise' (comfort, convenience) and ultimately from Latin 'adjacens' (lying near, neighbouring). The sense of 'freedom from difficulty' developed in Middle English.