Easily means doing something without much effort, difficulty, or struggle. When you can solve math problems easily, the answers come quickly and naturally without having to think too hard. When a gymnast lands a backflip easily, she makes it look simple and smooth, even though it takes real skill.

The word describes things that happen readily or without complications. A confident reader might move easily through a challenging book. A naturally athletic kid might pick up a new sport easily. Ice melts easily in warm weather, meaning it doesn't take much heat to make it happen.

But easily can also mean “by far” or “without question.” If someone is easily the fastest runner in the class, there's no close competition. If a movie is easily your favorite, nothing else even comes close.

Sometimes people say something happened “a bit too easily” when they're suspicious. If winning a contest seemed too easy, you might wonder if something wasn’t quite right. When success comes too easily, it might not feel as satisfying or genuine as something you really had to work for.