alleviate
Americanverb (used with object)
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alleviates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
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
-
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:
Whey protein is shown to have small-to-moderate benefits for muscle recovery – but evidence that it can alleviate soreness is inconsistent.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
Having a long-term-care policy, more than anything, can help alleviate the financial burden that lies ahead.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
“It’s helping alleviate all of the invisible stress that exists. You don’t always see it, but it’s there.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
But the government's planned reforms, including the creation of a National Police Service to take over counter-terror and fraud investigations could alleviate some of the pressure facing local units, Skeer wrote.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Reducing the amount of time people spend behind bars—by eliminating harsh mandatory minimums—will alleviate some of the unnecessary suffering caused by this system, but it will not disturb the closed circuit.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Fostering even for a night or two alleviates that crunch for space, allowing shelters to host cats they might not otherwise be able to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
“Importantly, Azure is set for another strong year as incremental capacity alleviates constraints on core and AI workloads, unlocking faster growth and reinforcing its role as a key engine alongside M365,” Thill wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 5, 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
Hormone-replacement therapy, which consists of estrogen and progesterone, alleviates short-term symptoms of menopause.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025
Medicine X which immediately alleviates 3 percent of all headaches in test after test is certainly better than nothing, but how much would you spend on it?
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Cats, Ms. Fullerton explains, are ideal companions for men and women of letters, whose “lonely occupation” may be alleviated by furry injections of playfulness and curiosity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Micron stock was rising as lower bond yields alleviated pressure on technology stocks.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
It’s still the summer—the August heat is alleviated in South Carolina only by late-afternoon thunderstorms.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
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
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
She said she hopes the arrest "goes some way towards alleviating the anxiety and uncertainty" that Karol Kelly's family have experienced.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Microsoft on Wednesday reported $90 billion in revenue and $35.8 billion in net income for its most recently completed quarter, potentially alleviating investor concerns about whether its investments in AI are paying off.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 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
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
