Synonyms of alleviate

alleviate

verb

ə-ˈlē-vē-ˌāt 

as in to relieve

to make more bearable or less severe

a car pool alleviates some of the stress of driving the kids to and from school every day

Synonyms & Similar Words

• relieve
• help
• mitigate
• soothe
• ease
• soften
• allay
• assuage
• improve
• cure
• heal
• mollify
• palliate
• enhance
• remedy
• lighten
• temper
• moderate
• ameliorate
• rectify
• abate
• fix
• correct
• better
• repair
• amend
• perfect
• enrich
• refine
• reform
• mend
• emend
• meliorate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hurt
• impair
• harm
• exacerbate
• aggravate
• injure
• intensify
• heighten
• sharpen

Synonym Chooser

How is the word alleviate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of alleviate are allay, assuage, lighten, mitigate, and relieve. While all these words mean "to make something less grievous," alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

the lotion alleviated the itching

When would allay be a good substitute for alleviate?

While the synonyms allay and alleviate are close in meaning, allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

allayed their fears

When is assuage a more appropriate choice than alleviate?

The meanings of assuage and alleviate largely overlap; however, assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

When might lighten be a better fit than alleviate?

While in some cases nearly identical to alleviate, lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

good news would lighten our worries

When is it sensible to use mitigate instead of alleviate?

In some situations, the words mitigate and alleviate are roughly equivalent. However, mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

the need to mitigate barbaric laws

When can relieve be used instead of alleviate?

The words relieve and alleviate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.

took an aspirin to relieve the pain

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of alleviate

Despite the city’s struggles, North San Jose has several large projects now underway, which has helped alleviate the city’s housing crisis. —Devan Patel, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025

Broadening and diversifying the city’s sales tax could also help alleviate some of the pressures, Ward 3 candidate Morgan Rainey said. —Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2025

Quentin, though, wanted to alleviate any fears that their past experience or inexperience would be crucial. —Jay Glennie, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025

For anxiety disorders, physicians recommend cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, because both can help alleviate the worrying over time, Kraguljac said. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025