ˈiːzi dʌz ɪt
General
informal
beginner
- Literally:
- Doing something easily accomplishes it
What does "easy does it" mean?
- Proceed slowly and carefully
- Be gentle and take your time
Examples
- Easy does it—we don't want to break anything.
- Lower it slowly. Easy does it.
- Easy does it when you're learning to drive.
Origin
20th-century American expression advising caution and gentleness. The 'it' refers to the task at hand—suggesting that an easy approach is more effective than rushing.
How to use it
Often said during delicate operations requiring care. Common when moving fragile objects or doing precision work.
Similar expressions
take it slow
be careful
gently
Opposites
hurry up
rush it
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "easy does it" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.