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   Re·lieve

   /rəˈlēv/

   

   verb

   • 1. cause (pain, distress, or difficulty) to become less severe or serious: "the drug was used to promote sleep and to relieve pain" Similar alleviatemitigateassuageallaysoothesoftenpalliateappeaseeasedullreducelessendiminishOpposite aggravate
   • ▪ cause (someone) to stop feeling distressed or anxious about something: "he was relieved by her change of tone"
   • 2. release (someone) from duty by taking their place: "another signalman relieved him at 5:30" Similar replacetake over fromtake the place ofstand in foract as stand-in forfill in forsubstitute foract as a substitute fordeputize forbe a proxy forcover forprovide cover foract as locum forhold the fort fordo something in someone's place/stead
   • ▪ bring military support for (a besieged place): "he dispatched an expedition to relieve the city"
   • ▪ (of a relief pitcher) take the place of (another pitcher) during a game.
   • 3. take (a burden) from someone: "he relieved her of her baggage" Similar free of/fromset free fromrelease fromliberate fromexempt fromexcuse fromabsolve fromlet offextricate fromdischarge fromunburden ofdisburden ofdisencumber ofdeliver fromrescue fromsave fromrare:disembarrass ofOpposite put an extra burden on
   • ▪ free someone from (a tiresome responsibility): "she relieved me of the household chores" Similar replacetake over fromtake the place ofstand in foract as stand-in forfill in forsubstitute foract as a substitute fordeputize forbe a proxy forcover forprovide cover foract as locum forhold the fort fordo something in someone's place/stead
   • ▪ used euphemistically to indicate that someone has been deprived of something: "he was relieved of his world title"
   • 4. make less tedious or monotonous by the introduction of variety or of something striking or pleasing: "the bird's body is black, relieved only by white under the tail" Similar counteractreducealleviatemitigatebrightenlightensweetenbring respite tomake something bearableinterruptpunctuatevarybreak upstopbring an end tocuredispelpreventOpposite exacerbateemphasize
   • 5. urinate or defecate (used euphemistically): "train your dog to relieve itself where you want it to"
   • 6. make (something) stand out: archaic "the twilight relieving in purple masses the foliage of the island"

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French relever, from Latin relevare, from re- (expressing intensive force) + levare ‘raise’ (from levis ‘light’).

   Derivatives

   • 1. relievable adjective

   Scrabble Points: 10

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2. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › relieveRelieve Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › relieve

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   The meaning of RELIEVE is to free from a burden : give aid or help to. How to use relieve in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Relieve.

3. www.merriam-webster.com › thesaurus › relieveRELIEVE Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam ...

   www.merriam-webster.com › thesaurus › relieve

   • Cached

   Synonyms for RELIEVE: alleviate, help, soothe, mitigate, ease, soften, allay, assuage; Antonyms of RELIEVE: hurt, impair, harm, injure, aggravate, exacerbate, intensify, heighten.

   • Some common synonyms of relieve are allay, alleviate, assuage, lighten, and mitigate. While all these words mean "to make something less grievous,"...
   • The words allay and relieve can be used in similar contexts, but allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms. // allayed thei...
   • Although the words alleviate and relieve have much in common, alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress. // the lotion a...
   • The synonyms assuage and relieve are sometimes interchangeable, but assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable. // ocean...
   • The words lighten and relieve are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight. // g...
   • While in some cases nearly identical to relieve, mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful. // the...

4. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishRELIEVE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   RELIEVE definition: 1. to make an unpleasant feeling, such as pain or worry, less strong: 2. to improve an unpleasant…. Learn more.

5. www.dictionary.com › browse › relieveRELIEVE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › relieve

   • Cached

   Relieve definition: to ease or alleviate (pain, distress, anxiety, need, etc.).. See examples of RELIEVE used in a sentence.

6. www.thesaurus.com › browse › relieve133 Synonyms & Antonyms for RELIEVE | Thesaurus.com

   www.thesaurus.com › browse › relieve

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   Find 133 different ways to say RELIEVE, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

7. dictionary.cambridge.org › english › relieveRELIEVE | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › english › relieve

   • Cached

   to make an unpleasant feeling, such as pain or worry, less strong: She was given a shot of morphine to relieve the pain. She relieved her boredom at home by learning how to type. [ T ] to improve an unpleasant situation: New toll roads could help relieve congestion on other routes.

8. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › relieveRelieve - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › relieve

   To relieve is to ease a burden or take over for someone. An aspirin can relieve a headache, and a substitute can relieve the teacher who fell asleep on her desk after lunch.