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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

   • R

     1

   • E

     1

   • L

     1

   • I

     1

   • E

     1

   • V

     4

   • E

     1

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

   dictionary.cambridge.org › english › relieve

   • Cached

   relieve verb (HELP) [ T ] to provide relief for a bad situation or for people in need: emergency food aid to help relieve the famine. [ T ] to take the place of someone and continue doing their job or duties: I'm on duty until 2 p.m. and then Peter is coming to relieve me. [ T ] formal.

3. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishRELIEVE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   2 days ago · to bring alleviation of ( pain, distress, etc) to (someone) 2. to bring aid or assistance to (someone in need, a disaster area, etc) 3. to take over the duties or watch of (someone) 4. to bring aid or a relieving force to (a besieged town, city, etc) 5. to free (someone) from an obligation.

4. 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. Relieve comes from the Latin word relevare meaning "to help" or "make light again."

5. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definitionrelieve verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition

   • Cached

   relieve something to make something less boring, especially by introducing something different. We played cards to relieve the boredom of the long wait. The black and white pattern is relieved by tiny coloured flowers. relieve somebody to replace somebody at the end of their period of duty. to relieve a sentry.

6. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definitionrelieve verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition

   • Cached

   verb. /rɪˈliv/ Verb Forms. relieve something to remove or reduce an unpleasant feeling or pain to relieve the symptoms of a cold to relieve anxiety/guilt/stress Being able to tell the truth at last seemed to relieve her. Definitions on the go.

7. www.thefreedictionary.com › relieveRelieve - definition of relieve by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › relieve

   • Cached

   1. a. To cause a lessening or alleviation of: relieved all his symptoms; relieved the tension. b. To make less tedious, monotonous, or unpleasant: Only one small candle relieved the gloom. 2. To free from pain, anxiety, or distress: I was relieved by the news that they had arrived home safely. 3. a.

8. dictionary.cambridge.org › learner-english › relieveRELIEVE | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › learner-english › relieve

   • Cached

   to allow someone to stop working by taking their place: The 7 a.m. team arrived to relieve the night workers. Phrasal verbs. relieve sb of sth. (Definition of relieve from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) Translations of relieve. in Chinese (Traditional) 減輕, 緩解，減輕，解除（疼痛或擔憂）, 使寬心，使寬慰… See more. in Chinese (Simplified)