alleviate
Americanverb (used with object)
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alleviates,
present (3rd person singular)
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alleviated,
past participle, past
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alleviating
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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alleviationnoun
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alleviatornoun
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alleviativeadjective
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unalleviatedadjective
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unalleviatingadjective
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unalleviatedlyadverb
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unalleviatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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alleviatesimple
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alleviatessimple
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have alleviatedperfect
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has alleviatedperfect
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am alleviatingprogressive
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are alleviatingprogressive
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is alleviatingprogressive
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have been alleviatingperfect progressive
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has been alleviatingperfect progressive
Past
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alleviatedsimple
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had alleviatedperfect
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was alleviatingprogressive
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were alleviatingprogressive
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had been alleviatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of alleviate
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English alleviaten, from Late Latin alleviātus “lightened,” past participle of alleviāre “to lighten, relieve,” from al- al- + levi(s) “light in weight” + -āre, infinitive verb suffix
Explanation
Do all these words make your head ache? If so, take an aspirin to alleviate, or relieve, your pain. The verb, alleviate, stems from the Latin root, levis "light" and is related to modern English words such as elevator and levitate — both words implying a lightening of one's load. Alleviate also has this sense of lightening a burden such as physical pain or emotional duress. You can take medicine to alleviate symptoms or do exercise to alleviate stress. Or if you want a bigger challenge: try alleviating traffic congestion or world hunger.
Vocabulary lists containing alleviate
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Grade 9, List 2
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Farewell to Manzanar
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A move back above that level might help to alleviate concerns that forced liquidations could hurt bitcoin’s price.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
A month later, Chinese authorities reportedly told Xu to use his personal wealth to alleviate his firm's debt crisis.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
The spike comes before the government is set to release about 5,000 inmates early from October to alleviate overcrowding.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Adding third-party capital and credit decision-making “should arguably alleviate circularity concerns…while admittedly polarizing the debate,” Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore wrote Tuesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
After his return, he became head of the anthropology department at Cornell University, from which position he led its celebrated efforts to alleviate poverty in the Andes.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
It alleviates some of the burden of caring for their aging parents, and it ensures that some level of care will be available as they themselves age.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
That’s on top of the injections Leite gives herself regularly: NAD+, which she says makes her feel energized and alleviates her brain fog, and glutathione, which is marketed for antioxidant and immune support.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
Historical context further alleviates the sting of last month’s deficit: Since fiscal year 1955, the Treasury hasn’t recorded an October surplus.
From Barron's ● Nov. 25, 2025
Particularly in capsule form, which releases the active ingredient slowly in the body, fampridine has shown effects on cognitive performance in MS patients: for some, it alleviates the mental fatigue that can accompany MS.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 18, 2024
Usually, a ten-day antibiotic treatment alleviates the symptoms, or a fast in-office medical procedure can release the pressure.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Vivas said that while the return of nearly 75,000 migrants to Morocco had "considerably alleviated" the situation, Ceuta had not yet returned to normal.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Strong investment returns have alleviated financial pressure on state and local governments since taxpayers pay most of the bill for public worker pensions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Additionally, after OpenAI’s recent $110 billion funding round, concerns about the ChatGPT creator’s ability to pay Oracle for its compute commitments should be alleviated, he added.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 30, 2026
Despite price volatility, the company is well run and well positioned once the end-of-year concerns are alleviated.
From Barron's ● Dec. 17, 2025
There is no known cure, though recent developments in potion-making have to a great extent alleviated the worst symptoms.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
Over the course of 50 minutes, therapists focus on alleviating tension and fatigue in the legs and feet, which often feel the brunt of a long flight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
This is a life-changing amount of money that would dramatically improve the American people’s lives by alleviating the stress and anxiety, poor health and even premature death that comes from financial precarity.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
The news suggested to investors that demand for software will increase, alleviating fears that vibe-coded AI software will replace traditional enterprise solutions.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026
Sasse, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in December, has credited daraxonrasib with shrinking tumors and alleviating his pain along with morphine, touting it as a “miracle drug” in a recent interview.
From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026
One day, a packet-ship arriving from Nova Scotia with meat, thus alleviating the city’s starvation, I purchased a salted ham-hock with Sally, and, by her side, stripped it for cooking.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
