ease their troubles

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "ease their troubles" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing ways to alleviate someone's difficulties or challenges. Example: "The charity aims to ease their troubles by providing financial assistance and support services."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Its owner is a kind of therapist to his regular customers, choosing records to ease their troubles, from insomnia to infidelity.

The New Yorker

To ease their troubles, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens, one of the 10 charities supported by The New York Times 9/11 Neediest Fund, is helping to pay the family's mortgage, which is $1,313 a month, and arranging counseling services.

The New York Times

There are so many people struggling to get pregnant for a variety of reasons and sometimes what they're hearing from those around them doesn't help ease their troubles.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

He saw the two-and-a-half year contract as a chance to finally step away from DEA work and ease their money troubles.

Huffington Post

That's going to ease their transition".

The New York Times - Sports

Use acupressure to ease their nausea.

WikiHow

That walk eased their fears.

The New York Times - Sports

Yet politicians' hopes that their troubles will ease after May look misplaced.In retirement the general, of the Rajput warrior caste, might prove an even bigger pain.

The Economist

The latest development plan has stirred some criticism from Arverne residents, who say that building housing -- with homes for middle-income buyers and expected to be priced from $250,000 to $500,000 -- will do little to ease the troubles of the surrounding neighborhood.

The New York Times

Before the dinner, which appeared to do nothing to ease the troubles, General Musharraf said smilingly: "Mr Karzai is the best man for Kabul," then added, "but he doesn't understand Afghanistan".The dispute has fixed on a deal agreed on September 5th between General Musharraf and, it is alleged, the Taliban to keep the peace in Pakistan's tribal region.

The Economist

A special provision of Chapter 11 gives aircraft lessors a privileged position over other creditors: they can re-possess aircraft if an airline cannot pay its outstanding lease charges within 60 days.With air travel and airline profits recovering outside America, GE may be able to ease its troubles by placing some of its now unwanted Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s elsewhere, particularly Asia.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "ease their troubles", consider the specific context to ensure the level of formality and intensity aligns with the situation. For more formal settings, consider alternatives like "alleviate their problems".

Common error

Avoid using "ease their troubles" in highly formal or academic writing where more precise and sophisticated language is expected. Instead, opt for terms like "ameliorate their circumstances" or "mitigate their difficulties".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "ease their troubles" functions as a verb phrase, where "ease" acts as a transitive verb taking "their troubles" as its object. This indicates an action performed on something, specifically aiming to reduce or alleviate difficulties, as supported by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "ease their troubles" is a grammatically correct and understandable expression that means to alleviate someone's difficulties or problems. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English. While relatively neutral in tone and frequently found in news and media contexts, it may require more formal alternatives like "alleviate their problems" or "mitigate their difficulties" in more formal settings. The phrase's function is to express an action aimed at reducing hardship. It's important to consider the specific context when using it to ensure the appropriate level of formality is maintained.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

alleviate their problems

Replaces "ease" with "alleviate", suggesting a more significant reduction of the problems.

mitigate their difficulties

Substitutes "ease" with "mitigate" and "troubles" with "difficulties", implying a lessening of severity.

lighten their burdens

Uses a more metaphorical approach, replacing "troubles" with "burdens" and "ease" with "lighten", conveying a sense of reducing weight.

relieve their worries

Focuses on emotional distress, replacing "troubles" with "worries" and "ease" with "relieve".

soothe their anxieties

Addresses anxiety specifically, using "soothe" instead of "ease" to emphasize a calming effect.

assuage their concerns

Replaces "ease" with "assuage", indicating a calming or pacifying effect on their concerns.

ameliorate their situation

Uses more formal language, replacing "ease their troubles" with "ameliorate their situation", suggesting an improvement in circumstances.

improve their circumstances

Focuses on the overall situation rather than specific troubles, offering a broader perspective.

make things easier for them

Offers a more direct and simple way of expressing the idea of making things less difficult.

help them cope

Shifts the focus to assisting them in managing their troubles, rather than directly removing the troubles themselves.

FAQs

What does "ease their troubles" mean?

The phrase "ease their troubles" means to alleviate someone's difficulties, problems, or sources of distress. It implies making things less burdensome or stressful for them.

What can I say instead of "ease their troubles"?

You can use alternatives like "alleviate their problems", "mitigate their difficulties", or "lighten their burdens" depending on the context.

How formal is the phrase "ease their troubles"?

The phrase "ease their troubles" is considered relatively neutral in formality. While appropriate for news and general communication, more formal contexts may benefit from alternatives such as "ameliorate their situation".

Is "ease their troubles" grammatically correct?

Yes, "ease their troubles" is grammatically correct. The verb "ease" is used transitively to act upon the object "their troubles", indicating the action of relieving or lessening the troubles.