The difference between Ease and Lay off

When used as verbs, ease means to free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc, whereas lay off means (of an employer) to dismiss (workers) from employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume, often with a severance package.

Ease is also noun with the meaning: ability, the means to do something, particularly: opportunity, chance. skill, dexterity, facility.

check bellow for the other definitions of Ease and Lay off

  1. Ease as a noun (obsolete):

    Ability, the means to do something, particularly: Opportunity, chance. Skill, dexterity, facility.

    Examples:

    "He played the ukelele with ease."

  2. Ease as a noun (pejorative, archaic):

    Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness, particularly: Freedom from pain, hardship, and annoyance, sometimes idleness, sloth. Freedom from worry and concern; peace; sometimes indifference. Freedom from difficulty. Freedom from effort, leisure, rest. Freedom from financial effort or worry; affluence. Freedom from embarrassment or awkwardness; grace.

    Examples:

    "She enjoyed the ease of living in a house where the servants did all the work."

    "The pension set her mind [[at ease at ease]]."

    "He passed all the exams with ease."

    "We took our ease on the patio."

    "His inheritance catapulted him into a life of ease."

    "She dealt with the faculty with combined authority and ease."

  3. Ease as a noun (euphemistic, obsolete):

    Relief, an end to discomfort, particularly: Followed by or : release from or reduction of pain, hardship, or annoyance. Release from intestinal discomfort: defecation. Release from constraint, obligation, or a constrained position. Additional space provided to allow greater movement.

    Examples:

    "Take one pill every 12 hours to provide ease from pain."

    "At ease, soldier!"

    "Add some ease to the waist measurement."

  4. Ease as a noun (obsolete):

    A convenience; a luxury.

  5. Ease as a noun (obsolete):

    A relief; an easement.

  1. Ease as a verb (transitive):

    To free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc.

    Examples:

    "He eased his conscience by confessing."

  2. Ease as a verb (transitive):

    To alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain).

    Examples:

    "He loosened his shoe to ease the pain."

  3. Ease as a verb (transitive):

    To give respite to (someone).

    Examples:

    "The provision of extra staff eased their workload."

  4. Ease as a verb (nautical, transitive):

    To loosen or slacken the tension on a line.

    Examples:

    "We eased the [[boom vang]], then lowered the sail."

  5. Ease as a verb (transitive):

    To reduce the difficulty of (something).

    Examples:

    "We had to ease the entry requirements."

  6. Ease as a verb (transitive):

    To move (something) slowly and carefully.

    Examples:

    "He eased the cork from the bottle."

  7. Ease as a verb (intransitive):

    To lessen in severity.

    Examples:

    "The pain eased overnight."

  8. Ease as a verb (intransitive):

    To proceed with little effort.

    Examples:

    "The car eased onto the motorway."

  1. Lay off as a verb (transitive, chiefly US, idiom):

    (of an employer) To dismiss (workers) from employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume, often with a severance package.

  2. Lay off as a verb (transitive):

    (of a bookmaker) To place all or part of a bet with another bookmaker in order to reduce risk.

  3. Lay off as a verb (transitive, idiomatic):

    To cease, quit, stop (doing something).

    Examples:

    "Lay off the singing, will you! I'm trying to study."

    "When are you gonna lay off smoking?"

  4. Lay off as a verb (transitive, and, intransitive, idiomatic):

    To stop bothering, teasing, or pestering someone; to leave (someone) alone.

    Examples:

    "Just lay off, okay! I've had enough!"

    "Things have been better since the boss has been laying off a little."

    "I told him to lay off me but he wouldn't stop."

    "Lay off it, already!"

  5. Lay off as a verb (transitive, and, intransitive, [[artisanal]] [[terminology]]):

    In painting, to apply gentle strokes to smooth a wet coat of paint so as to remove visible roller- or brush-marks, commonly using a dry brush; a similar technique, but using a loaded laying-off brush, may produce a smooth coat of paint when using a roller or the usual brush techniques would leave marks.

    Examples:

    "At any [[pro]] paint shop ask for laying off brushes. These are [[natural]] [[bristle]], wide, thin brushes designed for [[tip off tipping off]], not for holding a paint load.'' (Sourced from a web forum exchange)"

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