relief

1
[ ri-leef ]
See synonyms for relief on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. alleviation, ease, or deliverance through the removal of pain, distress, oppression, etc.

  2. a means or thing that relieves pain, distress, anxiety, etc.

  1. money, food, or other help given to those in poverty or need.

  2. something affording a pleasing change, as from monotony.

  3. release from a post of duty, as by the arrival of a substitute or replacement.

  4. the person or persons acting as replacement.

  5. the rescue of a besieged town, fort, etc., from an attacking force.

  6. the freeing of a closed space, as a tank or boiler, from more than a desirable amount of pressure or vacuum.

  7. Feudal Law. a fine or composition which the heir of a feudal tenant paid to the lord for the privilege of succeeding to the estate.

  8. Literature.

    • a distinct or abrupt change in mood, scene, action, etc., resulting in a reduction of intensity, as in a play or novel.

Idioms about relief

  1. on relief, receiving financial assistance from a municipal, state, or federal government because of poverty or need.

Origin of relief

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English relef(e), releffe, relief(e), from Old French relief, relef(e), derivative of relever “to raise”; see origin at relieve

Other words for relief

Opposites for relief

Other words from relief

  • re·lief·less, adjective

Words Nearby relief

Other definitions for relief (2 of 2)

relief2
[ ri-leef ]

noun
  1. prominence, distinctness, or vividness due to contrast.

  2. the projection of a figure or part from the ground or plane on which it is formed, as in sculpture or similar work.

  1. a piece or work in such projection.

  2. an apparent projection of parts in a painting, drawing, etc., giving the appearance of the third dimension.

  3. Physical Geography. the differences in elevation and slope between the higher and lower parts of the land surface of a given area.

  4. Also called relief printing. Printing. any printing process, as letterpress or flexography, in which the printing ink is transferred to paper or another printed surface from areas that are higher than the rest of the block.

Origin of relief

2
First recorded in 1600–10; from French relief, from Italian rilievo; see relief1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use relief in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for relief

relief

/ (rɪˈliːf) /


noun
  1. a feeling of cheerfulness or optimism that follows the removal of anxiety, pain, or distress: I breathed a sigh of relief

  2. deliverance from or alleviation of anxiety, pain, distress, etc

    • help or assistance, as to the poor, needy, or distressed

    • (as modifier): relief work

  1. short for tax relief

  2. something that affords a diversion from monotony

  3. a person who replaces or relieves another at some task or duty

  4. a bus, shuttle plane, etc, that carries additional passengers when a scheduled service is full

  5. a road (relief road) carrying traffic round an urban area; bypass

    • the act of freeing a beleaguered town, fortress, etc: the relief of Mafeking

    • (as modifier): a relief column

  6. Also called: relievo, rilievo sculpture architect

    • the projection of forms or figures from a flat ground, so that they are partly or wholly free of it

    • a piece of work of this kind

  7. a printing process, such as engraving, letterpress, etc, that employs raised surfaces from which ink is transferred to the paper

  8. any vivid effect resulting from contrast: comic relief

  9. variation in altitude in an area; difference between highest and lowest level: a region of low relief

  10. mechanical engineering the removal of the surface material of a bearing area to allow the access of lubricating fluid

  11. law redress of a grievance or hardship: to seek relief through the courts

  12. European history a succession of payments made by an heir to a fief to his lord: the size of the relief was determined by the lord within bounds set by custom

  13. on relief US and Canadian (of a person) in receipt of government aid because of personal need

Origin of relief

1
C14: from Old French, from relever to raise up; see relieve

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012