relieve
to ease or alleviate (pain, distress, anxiety, need, etc.).
to free from anxiety, fear, pain, etc.
to free from need, poverty, etc.
to bring effective aid to (a besieged town, military position, etc.).
to ease (a person) of any burden, wrong, or oppression, as by legal means.
to reduce (a pressure, load, weight, etc., on a device or object under stress): to relieve the steam pressure; to relieve the stress on the supporting walls.
to make less tedious, unpleasant, or monotonous; break or vary the sameness of: curtains to relieve the drabness of the room.
to bring into relief or prominence; heighten the effect of.
to release (one on duty) by coming as or providing a substitute or replacement.
Machinery.
to free (a closed space, as a tank, boiler, etc.) of more than a desirable pressure or vacuum.
to reduce (the pressure or vacuum in such a space) to a desirable level.
Baseball. to replace (a pitcher).
Baseball. to act as a relief pitcher: He relieved in 52 games for the Pirates last season.
Idioms about relieve
to relieve oneself, to urinate or defecate.
Origin of relieve
1synonym study For relieve
Other words for relieve
Opposites for relieve
Other words from relieve
- re·liev·a·ble, adjective
- re·liev·ed·ly [ri-lee-vid-lee], /rɪˈli vɪd li/, adverb
- non·re·liev·ing, adjective
- qua·si-re·lieved, adjective
- un·re·liev·a·ble, adjective
- un·re·lieved, adjective
- un·re·liev·ed·ly, adverb
- un·re·liev·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use relieve in a sentence
This renders the patient unconscious and thus, effectively relieves pain.
U.K. Courts Grant Mother Right to End Her 12-Year-Old Disabled Daughter’s Life | Elizabeth Picciuto | November 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe deal relieves about half of sequester cuts due to take effect next year and avoids the next big bite out of defense spending.
Thanks, Patty Murray and Paul Ryan. You Did Your Job. Finally. | Eleanor Clift | December 11, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTJihad relieves guerilla men of taking care of and providing for their families.
The good thing about an auction is that it relieves bankers of the tricky chore of trying to figure out how to price the shares.
Facebook Stock Woes Hurt Market’s View of Other New Tech Companies | Dan Lyons | June 1, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST“The way they see it, if Israel bombs them it relieves the internal pressure,” says Martin.
Former CIA Officials Say Iran’s Clerics Want to Goad Israel Into an Attack | Aram Roston | March 5, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
The latter pitches his master's tent and relieves him of household troubles, and retires to his own boat tent when not wanted.
Yachting Vol. 2 | Various.He then with his own hands relieves the stranger of his arms and hangs them on the wall.
Life of Schamyl | John Milton MackieBut against that I cannot guard, and the act of writing relieves my feelings at the moment--that is at least what I ask of it.
The World's Greatest Books, Vol X | VariousRarely a front yard or blooming garden-plot relieves the dreary monotony.
An occasional thunderstorm with hail relieves the strain for a little.
The Panjab, North-West Frontier Province, and Kashmir | Sir James McCrone Douie
British Dictionary definitions for relieve
/ (rɪˈliːv) /
to bring alleviation of (pain, distress, etc) to (someone)
to bring aid or assistance to (someone in need, a disaster area, etc)
to take over the duties or watch of (someone)
to bring aid or a relieving force to (a besieged town, city, etc)
to free (someone) from an obligation
to make (something) less unpleasant, arduous, or monotonous
to bring into relief or prominence, as by contrast
(foll by of) informal to take from: the thief relieved him of his watch
relieve oneself to urinate or defecate
Origin of relieve
1Derived forms of relieve
- relievable, adjective
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
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