Relieve
Contents
English
Verb
Relieve (third-person singular simple present Relieves, present participle relieving, simple past and past participle relieved)
- To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of.
- To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or discomfort.
- To alleviate (pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.).
- To provide comfort or assistance to (someone in need, especially in poverty).
- (obsolete) To lift up; to raise again.
- (now rare) To raise (someone) out of danger or from (a specified difficulty etc.).
- (law) To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations; to give legal relief to.
- This shall not relieve either Party of any obligations.
- To bring military help to (a besieged town); to lift the seige on.
- To release (someone) from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
- (military) To free (someone) from their post, task etc. by taking their place.
- (now rare) To make (something) stand out; to make prominent, bring into relief.
- 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, III.76:
- The henna should be deeply dyed to make / The skin relieved appear more fairly fair [...].
- 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, III.76:
- (reflexive) To go to the toilet; to defecate or urinate.
Derived terms
Related terms
Adverbs for Relieve
tactfully; effectually; painlessly; ultimately; intensely; temporarily; spiritually; partially; economically; nationally.
Thesaurus
abate, abet, abridge, absolve, act for, aid, allay, alleviate, alternate, anesthetize, appease, assist, assuage, assure, avail, bail out, be light, bear a hand, bear up, befriend, benefit, benumb, bereave, bleed, break up, change places with, cheer, comfort, condole with, console, cover, crowd out, curtail, cushion, cut off, cut out, deaden, deaden the pain, decrease, deliver, deprive, deprive of, differ, differentiate, diminish, disburden, discharge, disencumber, disentitle, dispense, displace, dissent, disunify, divaricate, diverge, diversify, divest, do a hitch, do a stint, do a tour, do good, do time, doctor, double for, drain, dull, ease, ease matters, ease one of, encourage, enlist, excuse, favor, fill in, fill in for, foment, free, ghost, ghostwrite, give a boost, give a hand, give a lift, give comfort, give help, give relief, have a go, have little weight, have tenure, hearten, help, hold office, keep a watch, kick the beam, knock off, knock over, lay, lend a hand, lend one aid, lessen, let, liberate, lift, lighten, lighten one of, loot, lull, make light, make lighter, milk, mine, mitigate, moderate, mollify, numb, off-load, pad, palliate, pinch-hit, plunder, poultice, pour balm into, pour oil on, proffer aid, protect, put at ease, qualify, quiet, raise, rally, ransack, re-up, reassure, reclaim, redeem, reduce, reduce weight, reenlist, release, remedy, render assistance, replace, represent, rescue, restore, resuscitate, revive, rid, rifle, rob, salve, save, serve time, set at ease, set up, sign up, slacken, slake, soften, solace, soothe, spare, spell, spell off, stand in for, stick up, stupe, sub, subdue, subrogate, substitute, substitute for, succeed, succor, supersede, supplant, supply, support, swap places with, sympathize with, take away from, take from, take in tow, take over, take turns, tap, temper, time off, unballast, unburden, understudy for, unlade, unload, variate, variegate, vary, weigh lightly
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman releiver, relevier, relever et al., and its source, Latin relevare (“to lift up, rause, make light, lighten, relieve, alleviate, lessen, ease, comfort”), from re (“again”) + levare (“to lift”). Compare levant, levity, etc.
Pronunciation
Translations
External links
- Relieve in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- Relieve in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
Spanish
Noun
- relief (protrusion)
