relieve

[ri-leev]

verb (used with object)

relieved, relieving 

1. to ease or alleviate (pain, distress, anxiety, need, etc.).

   Synonyms: diminish, abate, lessen, lighten, allay, assuage, mitigate
   Antonyms: intensify

2. to free from anxiety, fear, pain, etc.

3. to free from need, poverty, etc.

   Synonyms: sustain, support

4. to bring effective aid to (a besieged town, military position, etc.).

   Synonyms: succor, assist, help, aid

5. to ease (a person) of any burden, wrong, or oppression, as by legal means.

6. 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.

7. to make less tedious, unpleasant, or monotonous; break or vary the sameness of.

   curtains to relieve the drabness of the room.

8. to bring into relief or prominence; heighten the effect of.

9. to release (one on duty) by coming as or providing a substitute or replacement.

10. Machinery.

    1. to free (a closed space, as a tank, boiler, etc.) of more than a desirable pressure or vacuum.

    2. to reduce (the pressure or vacuum in such a space) to a desirable level.

11. Baseball.,  to replace (a pitcher).

verb (used without object)

relieved, relieving 

1. Baseball.,  to act as a relief pitcher.

   He relieved in 52 games for the Pirates last season.

relieve

/ rɪˈliːv /

verb

1. 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

6. to make (something) less unpleasant, arduous, or monotonous

7. to bring into relief or prominence, as by contrast

8. informal,  (foll by of) to take from

   the thief relieved him of his watch

9. to urinate or defecate

Other Word Forms

• relievable adjective
• relievedly adverb
• nonrelieving adjective
• quasi-relieved adjective
• unrelievable adjective
• unrelieved adjective
• unrelievedly adverb
• unrelieving adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of relieve¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English releven from Middle French relever “to raise,” from Latin relevāre “to reduce the load of, lighten,” equivalent to re- “again, again and again”+ levāre “to raise,” derivative of levis “light in weight”; re-

Word History and Origins

Origin of relieve¹

C14: from Old French relever , from Latin relevāre to lift up, relieve, from _re- + levāre to lighten

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. to relieve oneself, to urinate or defecate.

Synonym Study

See comfort.

Example Sentences

She’s relieved that medical societies are publishing their own recommendations and said she now trusts them more than the government.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Grant told the Journal she was relieved that the property was being returned to the estate and “our relationship with Shawn Mathis is now finished.”

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Not only would that be tax efficient for Occidental, as Willens says, it would also relieve the company of the annual dividend of nearly $700 million it pays on the preferred.

Read more on Barron's

Whilst there are treatments available to relieve symptoms, there is currently no cure.

Read more on Science Daily

“It sounds silly to say you’re relieved to find out that your brother is in a prison, but I was relieved to learn at least that he was physically safe,” she said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• allay 
• alleviate 
• assuage 
• calm 
• comfort 
• cure 
• diminish 
• ease 
• free 
• mitigate 
• relax 
• soothe 
• subdue