What does easygoing mean?
Easygoing is an adjective describing someone who is relaxed, tolerant, and not easily bothered by stress or inconvenience. An easygoing person takes life as it comes, adapts readily to change, and tends to get along well with others because they are slow to criticize or anger. The word also applies more broadly to atmospheres, paces, or situations: an easygoing lifestyle or workplace is one that is unhurried and free of pressure. It derives simply from the phrase 'easy' plus 'going', suggesting someone who goes through life with ease. Connotations are almost always positive, evoking warmth and calm, though in some contexts it can faintly imply a lack of drive or rigor, as in an easygoing attitude toward deadlines. The unhyphenated spelling is now standard, with 'easy-going' accepted as a variant. It is a versatile, widely understood word in both British and American English, equally at home in casual conversation and professional writing.
Relaxed and tolerant in manner; not easily upset, worried, or annoyed.
"My easygoing roommate never complains about the noise."
Usually complimentary, but can imply a lack of strictness or ambition in certain contexts.
(Of a place, pace, or way of life) unhurried and free from stress or demanding standards.
"They moved to the coast for a more easygoing rhythm of life."
Easygoing is one of those rare compound adjectives that started as a plain description — literally 'easy to go along with' — and became a whole personality type.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of easygoing
Easygoing is a straightforward English compound formed from the adjective 'easy', which entered Middle English from Old French 'aise' (ultimately of uncertain origin), combined with the present participle 'going'. It arose in English as a descriptive compound, first appearing around the late 18th century, and its literal sense of 'moving easily' gradually shifted toward its modern sense of a relaxed, tolerant temperament. Its building blocks connect it to a wider family of words derived from the same root of ease, including 'easily', 'uneasy', and the older sense of 'disease' as 'discomfort'.
How easygoing is actually used
Informal to neutral in register; common in everyday speech and journalism. It carries a broadly positive connotation of amiability and calm, though it can occasionally suggest a lack of ambition or seriousness when describing work habits. The hyphenated spelling "easy-going" is a standard variant.
Easily confused with easygoing
"Easy-going" is simply an alternative hyphenated spelling of the same word; both are correct, though unhyphenated "easygoing" is now the more common form.