ease up (on someone or something)
1. To reduce the amount of physically pressure being placed on someone or something. Ease up on the brakes there. We don't want to come to a stop too suddenly. Ease up, ease up—you're going to crush me! Whoa, ease up on the joystick before you break the whole controller!
2. To reduce the emotional pressure or urgency placed on someone. Would you ease up already? I know I messed up the account, so I don't need you scolding me about it. Ease up on Samantha, she's under a lot of pressure at home. Once they're more experienced, parents tend to ease up on their kids. It certainly benefited me as the youngest child!
3. To reduce the amount or intensity of some action. You need to ease up on all that running, or you're going to do some serious damage to your knees! He works for such long hours. He's going to have a heart attack if he doesn't ease up soon. Don't worry, I did ease up on my workouts as soon as I found out I was pregnant.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.