relieve

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of relieve are allay, alleviate, assuage, lighten, and mitigate. While all these words 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

When is it sensible to use allay instead of relieve?

The words allay and relieve can be used in similar contexts, but allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

allayed their fears

When would alleviate be a good substitute for relieve?

Although the words alleviate and relieve have much in common, alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

the lotion alleviated the itching

When could assuage be used to replace relieve?

The synonyms assuage and relieve are sometimes interchangeable, but assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

When might lighten be a better fit than relieve?

The words lighten and relieve are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

good news would lighten our worries

When is mitigate a more appropriate choice than relieve?

While in some cases nearly identical to relieve, mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

the need to mitigate barbaric laws

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of relieve The Blue Jackets didn’t seem to celebrate Saturday’s win so much as they were relieved by it. Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025 Treatment usually focuses on measures to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. Carrie Madormo, Health, 18 Oct. 2025 The introduction of a functioning social-care system to relieve pressure on the National Health Service. Anand Menon, Time, 18 Oct. 2025 Cumin, coriander, and fennel are often used to help relieve gas and bloating. Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for relieve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relieve
Verb
  • Research shows that people who acknowledge or apologize for rejection risk activating the rejectee’s ire, rather than alleviating hurt feelings.
    Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
  • All the while, opportunities for renewable energy development — which could quickly alleviate some of the pain from electric bills and electricity demand from new industry — are constricting across the state.
    Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Her intervention comes amid concerns in the acting community about the creation of Norwood and how avatars like her could ultimately replace lower profile performers.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Rbx Scuba Mock Neck Full-zip Jacket Looking for an in-flight layer to replace your old, beat-up sweatshirt?
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • When it was announced that Girls collaborators Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan (both Jewish) had been hired as showrunners for Season 2, the news brought some hope that Konner’s perspective in particular would help to make these characters lovable.
    Judy Berman, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Cunha helped earn his start by reporting to Carrington a day before scheduled last week after returning from Japan with Brazil.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Lightning looms as winds threaten to push the tower over, but somehow the rescue team frees him from the wreckage to safety.
    Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The organization, which relies almost entirely on donations and volunteer fosters, is also calling attention to the overcrowding at local shelters and encourages people to adopt or foster animals to free up space, so more animals like Xiao Mao can get help.
    Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In a superseding indictment, officials added drug charges against the trio for possession of LSD.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The company’s parent, SGO Corporation, was included in a superseding indictment filed in Florida federal count on Thursday.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Glacial water helps rebalance minerals, squalane restores suppleness, and olive leaf extract soothes redness and helps keep breakouts in check with its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial properties.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Pottery Barn’s outlet is filled with cozy fall quilts for every bed size and an array of seasonal hues, from soothing neutrals to dark statement colors.
    Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Cities and counties would also be able to apply for the grants to mitigate risk in their communities.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • While tariffs on trade partners across the world remain the subject of constant discussion and scrutiny both inside and outside government, the administration is reportedly taking quiet steps behind the scenes to mitigate their punishing impact on American companies and shoppers.
    Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Key Takeaways Cumin, coriander, and fennel may ease bloating and gas by supporting digestion.
    Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Meanwhile, worries about oversupply have pressured the oil market, with the price of Brent and WTI both at near five-month lows – potentially easing the inflation burden for Americans, if gas prices follow oil prices lower.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Relieve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relieve. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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