relief

noun

re·lief | \ ri-ˈlēf

Definition of relief

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a payment made by a male feudal tenant to his lord on succeeding to an inherited estate

2a : removal or lightening of something oppressive, painful, or distressing

b : welfare sense 2a

c : military assistance to an endangered post or force

d : means of breaking or avoiding monotony or boredom : diversion

3 : release from a post or from the performance of duty

4 : one that takes the place of another on duty

5 : legal remedy or redress

6 [ French, from Middle French, from Italian rilievo relievo ]

a : a mode of sculpture in which forms and figures are distinguished from a surrounding plane surface

b : sculpture or a sculptural form executed in this mode

c : projecting detail, ornament, or figures

7a : sharpness of outline due to contrast a roof in bold relief against the sky

b : the state of being distinguished by contrast throws the two opinions into bold relief

8 : the elevations or inequalities of a land surface

9 : the pitching done by a relief pitcher two innings of hitless relief

relief

adjective

Definition of relief (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : providing relief

2 : characterized by surface inequalities

3 : of or used in letterpress

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about relief

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Examples of relief in a Sentence

Noun

I felt such a sense of relief after I finished my thesis. He expressed relief that the crisis was finally over. Much to everyone's relief, the airplane took off without any problems. What a relief it is to be back home. Exercise is an excellent source of stress relief. Both candidates promised tax relief for middle-class families. Countries from around the world have been sending relief to the flood victims. We donated to the relief effort for the hurricane victims. My father lost his job and we had to go on relief.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Some relief arms who were lock down guys last season look less than stellar this season. — Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, "A’s mailbag: Bullpen travails, slotting in injured pitchers, All-Stars and more," 13 June 2019 All proceeds from the festival will benefit the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank’s hunger-relief programs. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "San Diego summer concerts go from ‘A’ (Anderson.Paak) to ‘Z’ (The Zombies)," 13 June 2019 Another new state law gives telecommunication companies relief on franchise fees paid to municipalities. — Dylan Mcguinness, ExpressNews.com, "New property tax law could end up costing San Antonio taxpayers more," 12 June 2019 But the rent was coming in - a relief after months without a tenant. — Raquel Rutledge, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "ATF's Milwaukee sting operation was marred by mistakes, failures," 11 June 2019 Liebelt played a part, working 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief in the clincher. — Rick Armstrong, Aurora Beacon-News, "Armstrong: West Aurora grad Jared Liebelt doesn't buckle, helps Mississippi State reach College World Series," 11 June 2019 The New York Times reported that the Education Department, under DeVos’s watch, refused to approve even one application for federal student loan relief in the second half of 2018, according to department data. — Zach Schermele, Teen Vogue, "Over the Last Decade, Wages Have Stayed the Same While the Cost of College Has Skyrocketed," 11 June 2019 Fortunately, Sansa never has to go through with that ordeal and ends up outliving Joffrey — whose death was an on-screen relief to nearly everyone. — Kaitlin Reilly, refinery29.com, "The Game Of Thrones Period Scene Was the Most Embarrassing Moment Of Sophie Turner's Career," 10 June 2019 Despite pleas from the NAACP and the ACLU, the 1990s brought no relief from Biden’s crime crusade. — Andrew Cockburn, Harper's magazine, "No Joe!," 10 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'relief.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.