alleviate

American  

[uh-lee-vee-ayt] / əˈli viˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

• alleviates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• alleviated,
  past participle,  past
• alleviating
  present participle

1. 

   to make easier to endure; lessen; mitigate.

   to alleviate sorrow; to alleviate pain.

   Synonyms:

   assuage, relieve, abate, diminish, lighten

   Antonyms:

   intensify, aggravate, strengthen, increase

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alleviate British  

/ əˈliːvɪˌeɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to make (pain, sorrow, etc) easier to bear; lessen; relieve

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• alleviation
  noun
• alleviator
  noun
• alleviative
  adjective
• unalleviated
  adjective
• unalleviating
  adjective
• unalleviatedly
  adverb
• unalleviatingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• alleviating
  present
• alleviated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• alleviate
  simple
• alleviates
  simple
• have alleviated
  perfect
• has alleviated
  perfect
• am alleviating
  progressive
• are alleviating
  progressive
• is alleviating
  progressive
• have been alleviating
  perfect progressive
• has been alleviating
  perfect progressive

Past

• alleviated
  simple
• had alleviated
  perfect
• was alleviating
  progressive
• were alleviating
  progressive
• had been alleviating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will alleviate
  simple
• will have alleviated
  perfect
• will be alleviating
  progressive
• will have been alleviating
  perfect progressive

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

alleviate alleviates alleviated alleviating

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

Despite most areas having at least some, it won't be enough to alleviate the drought situation across most of England and Wales.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

I’d talk to him about whether he is willing to fly back to Denver to see you during this time, if only to alleviate some of the financial burden.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 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

“There, with her, are people who need charity and she never lets a chance to alleviate their suffering go past her. The children, in particular, look up to her.”

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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

JGB prices may also be buoyed by ongoing decline in crude oil prices, which alleviates inflationary pressures in Japan and could reduce the urgency for BOJ rate increases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

The deal alleviates concerns about rivals impacting Nvidia’s AI chip market share.

From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 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

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

“Heart of the Beast” is an onslaught of danger and misery, alleviated only by the pleasure of watching James’ survival skills and ingenuity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

He dismisses concerns about its effectiveness, including suggestions that alleviated symptoms could be due to a placebo effect.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

It’s still the summer—the August heat is alleviated in South Carolina only by late-afternoon thunderstorms.

From Slate ● Aug. 25, 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

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

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

It was stunning to Mariam how quickly alleviating hunger became the crux of their existence.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

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Related Words

• allay
• assuage
• ease
• mitigate

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