To save this word, you'll need to log in.
re·lieve | \ ri-ˈlēv 
\
\relieved; relieving
Definition of relieve
1a : to free from a burden : give aid or help to
b : to set free from an obligation, condition, or restriction
c : to ease of a burden, wrong, or oppression by judicial or legislative interposition
2a : to bring about the removal or alleviation of : mitigate helps relieve stress
3a : to release from a post, station, or duty
b : to take the place of
will relieve the starting pitcher
4 : to remove or lessen the monotony of
a park relieves the urban landscape
5a : to set off by contrast
b : to raise in relief
6 : to discharge the bladder or bowels of (oneself)
1 : to bring or give relief
2 : to stand out in relief
3 : to serve as a relief pitcher
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from relieve
relievable \ ri-ˈlē-və-bəl \ adjective
\ adjective
Examples of relieve in a Sentence
I took a pill to relieve my headache.
I wish I could relieve your suffering.
What's the best way to relieve stress?
She tried to relieve the tension by making a joke.
an effort to relieve traffic congestion
We need to find ways to relieve overcrowding in our schools.
I've come to relieve the guard on duty.
The soldiers were relieved by 30,000 fresh troops.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web Their results showed that inhaled cannabis does have real short-term pain-relieving benefits for those dealing with chronic neuropathic pain, but doesn’t provide many answers about any potential long-term benefits.
—
Andrea Brooks, SELF, "The Conversation About Medical Cannabis I Wish I'd Been Able to Have With My Doctor," 21 Nov. 2019 Also, people are wondering what is going on in that new SpongeBob trailer, but also relieved someone fixed the issues with Sonic.
—
Wired, "While You Were Offline: Lady Gaga Doesn't Remember Artpop," 17 Nov. 2019 John says some residents are relieved while others feel anxious, and a few already experience separation anxiety.
—
Katie Orlinsky, National Geographic, "Climate change has finally caught up to this Alaska village," 22 Oct. 2019 Gutiérrez is happy for him and, frankly, relieved there is one less mouth for the farm to feed.
—
jsonline.com, "Robotic milking in Canada, struggling farmers in Mexico: How Wisconsin’s trading partners are weathering the dairy crisis," 18 Oct. 2019 Related Articles Officials said they were relieved to learn the fire was not apparently the result of a hate crime.
—
Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities, "Homeless man admitted starting Duluth synagogue fire, said he tried to put it out by spitting on it, charges say," 16 Sep. 2019 Gonzaga strung together a 20-0 run from about the midpoint of the first half until a little more than two minutes remained until the break – a break the Aggies were relieved to take after being run up and down their own court.
—
Brent Zwerneman, Houston Chronicle, "Texas A&M gets crushed by Gonzaga," 16 Nov. 2019 Most Indians, however, seem broadly relieved that the saga has finally come to an end.
—
The Economist, "The Supreme Court hands India’s biggest communal flashpoint to Hindus," 14 Nov. 2019 House plants are thought to boost mood, improve focus, and relieve stress (not unlike yoga itself), while an essential oil diffuser can instantly give your space that inviting yoga-studio scent.
—
Alexa Tucker, House Beautiful, "How to Create a Yoga Studio in Your House," 12 Nov. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'relieve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for relieve
relieve
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of relieve
: to reduce or remove (something, such as pain or an unpleasant feeling)
: to make (a problem) less serious
: to take the place of (someone who has been working, fighting, etc.)
See the full definition for relieve in the English Language Learners Dictionary
relieve
verbre·lieve | \ ri-ˈlēv \
\relieved; relieving
Kids Definition of relieve
1 : to free partly or wholly from a burden, pain, or distress
The phone call relieved the worried parents.
2 : to bring about the removal or lessening of
No words could relieve her sorrow.
3 : to release from a post or duty
relieve a sentry
4 : to break the sameness of
The dark red house was relieved by white trim.
relieve
transitive verbre·lieve | \ ri-ˈlēv \
\relieved; relieving
Medical Definition of relieve
1 : to bring about the removal or alleviation of (pain or discomfort)
2 : to discharge the bladder or bowels of (oneself)
Keep scrolling for more
relieve
transitive verbre·lieve
relieved; relieving
Legal Definition of relieve
: to set free from a duty, burden, or liability
cannot be relieved of his negligence the trust cannot relieve the trustees of those very basic duties that the law imposes — Hosey v. Burgess, 890 S.W.2d 262 (1995)
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on relieve
What made you want to look up relieve? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
- Which of the following Q-without-U words means the number five in cards or dice?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
Words to improve your Scrabble game
Take the quiz - Semantic Drift Quiz
A challenging quiz of changing words.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Add Diction
Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.
Play the game
Share relieve
Time Traveler for relieve
The first known use of relieve was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century