relieve

1 to make more bearable or less severe an ice pack will relieve the swelling Synonyms allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, help, sootheRelated Words abate, lighten, moderate, soften, temper; cure, heal, remedy; amend, correct, emend, fix, mend, rectify, reform, repair; ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refineNear Antonyms harm, hurt, impair, injure; heighten, intensify, sharpenAntonyms aggravate, exacerbate

2 to set (a person or thing) free of something that encumbers the bellhop relieved him of his luggage and led him to the elevator Synonyms clear, disburden, disencumber, divest, free, rid, unburdenRelated Words discharge, emancipate, enfranchise, liberate, loose, loosen, manumit, release, spring, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter; bail (out), deliver, redeem, rescue; disengage, disentangle, extricateNear Antonyms bog (down), fetter, hamper, restrain, shackle, subject, weigh down, weight (down)Antonyms burden, encumber, saddle

3 to take the place of at daybreak a soldier arrived to relieve the one who had spent the night on guard duty Synonyms cut out, displace, displant, replace, substitute, supersede, supplantRelated Words preempt, usurp