ease
To leave or move slowly, quiet-like, without a big fuss.
Also called ease on, ease out, ease on out.
Updated September 21, 2026
ease pronunciation
/EEZ/
Meaning
In rural Southern talk, ease means you slip somewhere gentle. You ease on home after supper. You ease out the back door while folks are still gabbing. It is leaving, but soft. Not a slam, not a sprint.
How folks use it
- “We better ease on home before it gets dark.”
- “He eased out the side door while everybody was talkin'.”
Origin and etymology
The verb ease is old English for moving gentle or taking the strain off. Southern and Appalachian speech stretched it into everyday leaving-talk: ease on, ease out, ease around. DARE notes those forms for quiet movement and polite getaways across the South and South Midland.
Frequently asked questions
Is ease the same as light out?
No. Light out is leaving in a hurry. Ease is the slow, don't-make-a-scene version.