relieve
Americanverb (used with object)
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to ease or alleviate (pain, distress, anxiety, need, etc.).
- Antonyms:
- intensify
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to free from anxiety, fear, pain, etc.
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to free from need, poverty, etc.
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to bring effective aid to (a besieged town, military position, etc.).
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to ease (a person) of any burden, wrong, or oppression, as by legal means.
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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.
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to make less tedious, unpleasant, or monotonous; break or vary the sameness of.
curtains to relieve the drabness of the room.
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to bring into relief or prominence; heighten the effect of.
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to release (one on duty) by coming as or providing a substitute or replacement.
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Machinery.
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to free (a closed space, as a tank, boiler, etc.) of more than a desirable pressure or vacuum.
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to reduce (the pressure or vacuum in such a space) to a desirable level.
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Baseball. to replace (a pitcher).
verb (used without object)
idioms
verb
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to bring alleviation of (pain, distress, etc) to (someone)
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to bring aid or assistance to (someone in need, a disaster area, etc)
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to take over the duties or watch of (someone)
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to bring aid or a relieving force to (a besieged town, city, etc)
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to free (someone) from an obligation
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to make (something) less unpleasant, arduous, or monotonous
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to bring into relief or prominence, as by contrast
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informal (foll by of) to take from
the thief relieved him of his watch
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to urinate or defecate
Related Words
See comfort.
Other Word Forms
- nonrelieving adjective
- quasi-relieved adjective
- relievable adjective
- relievedly adverb
- unrelievable adjective
- unrelieved adjective
- unrelievedly adverb
- unrelieving adjective
Etymology
Origin of relieve
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-
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.
“Gentle massage of these areas is believed to help promote blood circulation, relax the muscles responsible for focusing and relieve visual fatigue,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
It was reminiscent of Roger Federer at his best, able to relieve pressure and deflate opponents by serving his way out of trouble.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
Shorter lines would actually relieve pressure to get a funding deal done by taking away a major pain point.
From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026
Such a network is often very sensitive to strain, and applying strain can partially relieve the frustration within the bonding pattern.
From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026
As Shackleton crawled out to relieve Worsley at the tiller, a large wave slammed the skipper right in the face.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
