relieve

[ ri-leev ]

verb (used with object)

, re·lieved, re·liev·ing.

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)

, re·lieved, re·liev·ing.

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. relieve oneself
   to urinate or defecate

Derived Forms

• reˈlievable, adjective

Other Words From

• re·lieva·ble adjective
• re·liev·ed·ly [ri-, lee, -vid-lee], adverb
• nonre·lieving adjective
• quasi-re·lieved adjective
• unre·lieva·ble adjective
• unre·lieved adjective
• unre·lieved·ly adverb
• unre·lieving 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 and her husband Sam are now celebrating Aurora's first birthday together, and the couple are incredibly relieved that Laura has been declared cancer free.

From BBC

“When I got through that door, I felt so relieved. Finally, we were safe,” Daniel tells me as he carries on repairs to the school.

From BBC

As he, his wife Melissa and his doctors figured out his treatment plan, he was relieved to learn that the cancer had not spread to his bone marrow.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s been really relieving for it to just be out.

From Los Angeles Times

Yes, there are the long, glorious summers off, which relieve teacher-parents of the stress and expense of the summer camp scramble.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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