relieve

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verb re·lieve \ ri-ˈlēv \

Definition of relieve

relieved; relieving

transitive verb

1 a :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

2 a :to bring about the removal or alleviation of :mitigate

helps relieve stress

b :rob, deprive

relieved us of our belongings

3 a :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

5 a :to set off by contrast

b :to raise in relief

6 :to discharge the bladder or bowels of (oneself)

intransitive verb

1 :to bring or give relief

2 :to stand out in relief

3 :to serve as a relief pitcher

—

relievable

play \-ˈlē-və-bəl\ adjective

See relieve defined for English-language learners

See relieve defined for kids

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.

Recent Examples of relieve from the Web

Moyer Maryland will add a fourth eastbound lane over the Severn River Bridge, near Annapolis on Route 50, to relieve traffic congestion for vehicles heading toward the Eastern Shore.

— Washington Post, "Boy and man are shot in Northeast D.C.," 30 Aug. 2017
This recipe knocks other chicken breast recipes out of the game by relying on a super-simple (and stress-relieving!) technique.

— anya tchoupakov, Bon Appetit, "This Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Recipe Takes 15 Minutes and Is So Satisfying," 25 Aug. 2017
WASHINGTON — Two days after ordering a rare suspension of ship operations worldwide, the Navy relieved the commander of the fleet that had sustained four accidents in Asia and the deaths of more than a dozen sailors this year.

— eric schmitt and richard c. paddock, New York Times, "Commander of Naval Fleet Relieved of Duty After Collisions," 22 Aug. 2017
With a growing national shortage of doctors, Pivot wanted to focus first on placing people such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who can help relieve the effects of that shortage.

— rachel lerman, The Seattle Times, "Pivot Health works as matchmaker with health care job board," 20 Aug. 2017
One serving three times a week can even relieve breast tenderness.

— helen zook, Cosmopolitan, "12 Easy Food Fixes for Every Health Issue," 13 Aug. 2017
A blockade sometimes worked, but often the garrison (the group of soldiers within a fortress or castle) was usually better supplied than the attacking army and could outlast the besiegers, at least until a relieving army could fight its way in.

— william gurstelle, Popular Mechanics, "How to Storm a Castle," 10 Aug. 2017
A few supremely well-staged set-pieces relieve the torpor, none more so than an exactingly composed introductory sequence that plunges the viewer into the rituals of an official banquet held in Zweig's honor by the Brazilian Foreign Ministry.

— guy lodge, chicagotribune.com, "'Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe' review: Biopic celebrates Austrian author," 20 July 2017
Almost invariably, the authors argue, populists promise to relieve the stresses caused by institutional constraints.

— The Economist, "The power of populists," 20 July 2017

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of relieve

Middle English releven, from Anglo-French relever to raise, relieve, from Latin relevare, from re- + levare to raise — more at lever

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

relieve Synonyms

Synonyms

allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, help, soothe

Antonyms

aggravate, exacerbate

Related Words

abate, lighten, moderate, soften, temper; cure, heal, remedy; amend, correct, emend, fix, mend, rectify, reform, repair; ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine

Near Antonyms

harm, hurt, impair, injure; heighten, intensify, sharpen

Synonym Discussion of relieve

relieve, alleviate, lighten, assuage, mitigate, allay mean to make something less grievous. relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.

- took an aspirin to relieve the pain

alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

- the lotion alleviated the itching

lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

- good news would lighten our worries

assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

- ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

- the need to mitigate barbaric laws

allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

- allayed their fears

RELIEVE Defined for English Language Learners

relieve

play

verb

Definition of relieve for English Language Learners

: 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.)

RELIEVE Defined for Kids

relieve

play

verb re·lieve \ ri-ˈlēv \

Definition of relieve for Students

relieved; relieving

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.

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reliever

noun

Medical Dictionary

relieve

play

transitive verb re·lieve \ ri-ˈlēv \

medical Definition of relieve

relieved; relieving

1 :to bring about the removal or alleviation of (pain or discomfort)

2 :to discharge the bladder or bowels of (oneself)

—

reliever

noun

Law Dictionary

relieve

transitive verb re·lieve

legal Definition of relieve

relieved; relieving

: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)

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See words that rhyme with relieve Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for relieve Spanish Central: Translation of relieve Nglish: Translation of relieve for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of relieve for Arabic speakers

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RELIEVE Defined for English Language Learners

relieve

Definition of relieve for English Language Learners

RELIEVE Defined for Kids

relieve

Definition of relieve for Students

reliever

Medical Dictionary

relieve

medical Definition of relieve

reliever

Law Dictionary

relieve

legal Definition of relieve

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