relieve
(redirected from relieves)Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
re·lieve
(rĭ-lēv′)tr.v. re·lieved, re·liev·ing, re·lieves
Idiom: 1.
a. To cause a lessening or alleviation of: relieved all his symptoms; relieved the tension.
b. To make less tedious, monotonous, or unpleasant: Only one small candle relieved the gloom.
2. To free from pain, anxiety, or distress: I was relieved by the news that they had arrived home safely.
3.
a. To furnish assistance or aid to: relieve the flooded region.
b. To rescue from siege.
4.
a. To release (a person) from an obligation, restriction, or burden.
b. To free from a specified duty by providing or acting as a substitute.
c. Baseball To enter the game as a relief pitcher after (another pitcher).
5. Informal To rob or deprive: Pickpockets relieved him of his money.
6. Archaic To make prominent or effective by contrast; set off.
relieve (oneself)
To urinate or defecate.
[Middle English releven, from Old French relever, from Latin relevāre : re-, re- + levāre, to raise; see legwh- in Indo-European roots.]
re·liev′a·ble adj.
Synonyms: relieve, allay, alleviate, assuage, lighten2, mitigate, palliate
These verbs mean to make something less severe or more bearable. To relieve is to make more endurable something causing discomfort or distress: "that misery which he strives in vain to relieve" (Henry David Thoreau).
Allay suggests at least temporary relief from what is burdensome or painful: "This music crept by me upon the waters, / Allaying both their fury and my passion / With its sweet air" (Shakespeare).
Alleviate connotes temporary lessening of distress without removal of its cause: "No arguments shall be wanting on my part that can alleviate so severe a misfortune" (Jane Austen).
To assuage is to soothe or make milder: assuaged his guilt by confessing to the crime. Lighten signifies to make less heavy or oppressive: legislation that would lighten the taxpayer's burden. Mitigate and palliate connote moderating the force or intensity of something that causes suffering: "I ... prayed to the Lord to mitigate a calamity" (John Galt)."Organizations for writers palliate the writer's loneliness but I doubt if they improve his writing" (Ernest Hemingway).
These verbs mean to make something less severe or more bearable. To relieve is to make more endurable something causing discomfort or distress: "that misery which he strives in vain to relieve" (Henry David Thoreau).
Allay suggests at least temporary relief from what is burdensome or painful: "This music crept by me upon the waters, / Allaying both their fury and my passion / With its sweet air" (Shakespeare).
Alleviate connotes temporary lessening of distress without removal of its cause: "No arguments shall be wanting on my part that can alleviate so severe a misfortune" (Jane Austen).
To assuage is to soothe or make milder: assuaged his guilt by confessing to the crime. Lighten signifies to make less heavy or oppressive: legislation that would lighten the taxpayer's burden. Mitigate and palliate connote moderating the force or intensity of something that causes suffering: "I ... prayed to the Lord to mitigate a calamity" (John Galt)."Organizations for writers palliate the writer's loneliness but I doubt if they improve his writing" (Ernest Hemingway).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
relieve
(rɪˈliːv)vb (tr)
1. to bring alleviation of (pain, distress, etc) to (someone)
2. to bring aid or assistance to (someone in need, a disaster area, etc)
3. to take over the duties or watch of (someone)
4. (Military) to bring aid or a relieving force to (a besieged town, city, etc)
5. to free (someone) from an obligation
6. to make (something) less unpleasant, arduous, or monotonous
7. to bring into relief or prominence, as by contrast
8. (foll by of) informal to take from: the thief relieved him of his watch.
9. relieve oneself to urinate or defecate
[C14: from Old French relever, from Latin relevāre to lift up, relieve, from re- + levāre to lighten]
reˈlievable adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
re•lieve
(rɪˈliv)v. -lieved, -liev•ing. v.t.
1. to ease or alleviate (pain, distress, anxiety, need, etc.); mitigate; allay.
2. to free from anxiety, fear, pain, etc.
3. to free from need or poverty.
4. to bring effective aid to (a besieged town, military position, etc.).
5. to ease (a person) of a burden, wrong, or oppression.
6. to reduce (a pressure, load, weight, etc., on a device or object under stress).
7. to make less tedious, unpleasant, or monotonous: Curtains relieved the drabness of the room.
8. to bring into relief or prominence; heighten the effect of.
9. to release (a person on duty) by coming as or providing a substitute or replacement.
10. to replace (a baseball pitcher).
11. to release from an obligation or position: to be relieved of one's post.
12. Informal. to take something from; rob (usu. fol. by of): The thief relieved me of my wallet.
v.i. 13. to act as a relief pitcher.
Idioms: relieve oneself, to urinate or defecate.
[1300–50; Middle English releven < Middle French relever to raise < Latin relevāre to reduce the load of, lighten =re- re- + levāre to raise, derivative of levis light in weight]
re•liev′a•ble, adj.
re•liev′ed•ly, adv.
re•liev′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
relieve
- Metaphorically, to "alleviate, lighten," from Latin relevare, "raise again."See also related terms for metaphor.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
relieve
– relief1. 'relieve'
Relieve /rɪ'liːv/ is a verb. If something relieves an unpleasant feeling, it makes it less unpleasant.
Anxiety may be relieved by talking to a friend.
The passengers in the plane swallow to relieve the pressure on their eardrums.
If someone or something relieves you of an unpleasant feeling or difficulty, you no longer have it.
The news relieved him of some of his embarrassment.
Relieve is often used in the passive structure be relieved. If you are relieved, you feel happy because something unpleasant has stopped or has not happened.
I was relieved when Hannah finally arrived.
Be relieved is often followed by a to-infinitive.
He was relieved to find he'd suffered no more than a few scratches.
2. 'relief'
Relief /rɪ'liːf/ is a noun. If you feel relief, you feel glad because something unpleasant has stopped or has not happened.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
To my relief, he found the suggestion acceptable.
Relief is also money, food, or clothing that is provided for people who are very poor or hungry.
We are providing relief to vulnerable refugees, especially those who are sick.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
relieve
Past participle: relieved
Gerund: relieving
| Imperative |
|---|
| relieve |
| relieve |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. |  relieve - provide physical relief, as from pain; "This pill will relieve your headaches"soothe - cause to feel better; "the medicine soothes the pain of the inflammation" ameliorate, improve, meliorate, amend, better - to make better; "The editor improved the manuscript with his changes" |
| 2. | relieve - free someone temporarily from his or her obligations spell - relieve (someone) from work by taking a turn; "She spelled her husband at the wheel" | |
| 3. | relieve - grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to; "She exempted me from the exam" derestrict - make free from restrictions deregulate - lift the regulations on dispense - grant a dispensation; grant an exemption; "I was dispensed from this terrible task" forgive - absolve from payment; "I forgive you your debt" spare - save or relieve from an experience or action; "I'll spare you from having to apologize formally" | |
| 4. |  relieve - lessen the intensity of or calm; "The news eased my conscience"; "still the fears"abreact - discharge bad feelings or tension through verbalization | |
| 5. | relieve - save from ruin, destruction, or harm | |
| 6. |  relieve - relieve oneself of troubling informationconfide - reveal in private; tell confidentially | |
| 7. | relieve - provide relief for; "remedy his illness" practice of medicine, medicine - the learned profession that is mastered by graduate training in a medical school and that is devoted to preventing or alleviating or curing diseases and injuries; "he studied medicine at Harvard" | |
| 8. | relieve - free from a burden, evil, or distress | |
| 9. | relieve - take by stealing; "The thief relieved me of $100" take - take by force; "Hitler took the Baltic Republics"; "The army took the fort on the hill" | |
| 10. | relieve - grant exemption or release to; "Please excuse me from this class" frank - exempt by means of an official pass or letter, as from customs or other checks | |
| 11. | relieve - alleviate or remove (pressure or stress) or make less oppressive; "relieve the pressure and the stress"; "lighten the burden of caring for her elderly parents" mitigate - make less severe or harsh; "mitigating circumstances" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
relieve
verb
1. ease, soothe, alleviate, allay, relax, comfort, calm, cure, dull, diminish, soften, console, appease, solace, mitigate, abate, assuage, mollify, salve, palliate Drugs can relieve much of the pain.
ease intensify, worsen, heighten, exacerbate, aggravate
ease intensify, worsen, heighten, exacerbate, aggravate
2. interrupt, reduce, break up, alleviate, dispel, brighten, punctuate, lighten, counteract, mitigate, let up on (informal), make bearable Television did help to relieve the boredom and isolation.
3. free, release, deliver, discharge, exempt, unburden, disembarrass, disencumber He felt relieved of a burden.
4. take over from, substitute for, stand in for, take the place of, give (someone) a break or rest At seven o'clock the night nurse came in to relieve her.
relieve yourself pee, wee (informal), piss (taboo slang) (slang), urinate, tinkle (Brit. informal), piddle (informal), spend a penny (Brit. informal), make water, pass water, wee-wee (informal), take a leak (slang), micturate, take a whizz (slang, chiefly U.S.) She has to relieve herself every ten minutes.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
relieve
verb1. To make less severe or more bearable:
2. To free from or cast out something objectionable or undesirable:
Slang: shake.
3. To give support or assistance:
Idioms: give a hand, give a leg up.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يأخُذ عَنيُحَرِّر، يُعْفي من وَظيفَهيَحِلُّ مَحَليُخَفِّفُيُريح، يُخَفِّف
přinést pomocpropustitulevitvystřídatzbavit
lindreaflasteafløsebefrifjerne
helpottaa
olakšati
levesz
aîstoîa, liîsinnaleysa afleysa frá störfumlina, létta, draga úrlosa viî/undan
安心させる
경감시키다
poskytnúť pomocvystriedať
ublažiti
avhjälpa
ผ่อนคลาย
làm dịu đi
relieve
[rɪˈliːv] VT1. (= alleviate) [+ sufferings, pain, headache] → aliviar; [+ burden] → aligerar; [+ tension, boredom, anxiety] → disipar, aliviar
to feel relieved → sentirse aliviado
to relieve the boredom of the journey → para que el viaje se haga menos aburrido
the plain is relieved by an occasional hill → de vez en cuando una colina rompe con la monotonía de la llanura
to feel relieved → sentirse aliviado
to relieve the boredom of the journey → para que el viaje se haga menos aburrido
the plain is relieved by an occasional hill → de vez en cuando una colina rompe con la monotonía de la llanura
3. [+ feelings, anger] → desahogar
to relieve one's feelings → desahogarse
I relieved my feelings in a letter → me desahogué escribiendo una carta
to relieve one's feelings → desahogarse
I relieved my feelings in a letter → me desahogué escribiendo una carta
5. (= release) to relieve sb of a duty → exonerar a algn de un deber
to relieve sb of a post → destituir a algn
he was relieved of his command → fue relevado de su mando
let me relieve you of your coat → permítame tomarle el abrigo
to relieve sb of his wallet (hum) → quitar la cartera a algn, robar la cartera a algn
to relieve sb of a post → destituir a algn
he was relieved of his command → fue relevado de su mando
let me relieve you of your coat → permítame tomarle el abrigo
to relieve sb of his wallet (hum) → quitar la cartera a algn, robar la cartera a algn
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
relieve
[rɪˈliːv] vt (= lessen) [+ pain, stress, anxiety] → soulager; [+ boredom, monotony] → briser
This injection will relieve the pain → Cette piqûre va soulager la douleur.
to relieve sb of sth [+ pain, stress, anxiety] → soulager qn de qch
This injection will relieve the pain → Cette piqûre va soulager la douleur.
to relieve sb of sth [+ pain, stress, anxiety] → soulager qn de qch
(= take over from) [+ shiftworker, nurse] → prendre la relève de, relever; [+ guard] → prendre la relève de, relever
(= remove from sb) to relieve sb of sth → débarrasser qn de qch
A porter relieved her of her suitcases → Un porteur la débarrassa de ses bagages. (humorous) → soulager qn de qch
They have come up with many new ways to relieve tourists of their cash → Ils ont trouvé de nombreuses manières de soulager les touristes de leur argent.
to be relieved of one's post → être relevé(e) de son poste
to relieve sb of his command → relever qn de ses fonctions
A porter relieved her of her suitcases → Un porteur la débarrassa de ses bagages. (humorous) → soulager qn de qch
They have come up with many new ways to relieve tourists of their cash → Ils ont trouvé de nombreuses manières de soulager les touristes de leur argent.
to be relieved of one's post → être relevé(e) de son poste
to relieve sb of his command → relever qn de ses fonctions
(euphemism) to relieve o.s. (= urinate) → se soulager, faire ses besoins
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
relieve
vt
person → erleichtern; (of pain) → befreien von; to feel relieved → erleichtert sein; to be relieved at something → bei etw erleichtert aufatmen; he was relieved to learn that → er war erleichtert, als er das hörte; to relieve somebody’s mind → jdn beruhigen
to relieve somebody of something (of burden, pain) → jdn von etw befreien; of duty, post, command → jdn einer Sache (gen) → entheben (geh); of coat, suitcase → jdm etw abnehmen; (hum) of wallet, purse etc → jdn um etw erleichtern (hum)
(= mitigate) anxiety → mildern, schwächen; pain → lindern; (completely) → stillen; tension, stress → abbauen; pressure, symptoms → abschwächen; monotony (= interrupt) → unterbrechen; (= liven things up) → beleben; poverty → erleichtern; (Med) congestion → abhelfen (+dat); (completely) → beheben; to relieve one’s feelings → seinen Gefühlen Luft machen; the black of her dress was relieved by a white collar → das Schwarz ihres Kleides wurde durch einen weißen Kragen etwas aufgelockert; the new road relieves peak-hour congestion → die neue Straße entlastet den Berufsverkehr; to relieve oneself (euph) → sich erleichtern
(= help) stricken country, refugees etc → helfen (+dat)
(= take over from, also Mil) → ablösen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
relieve
[rɪˈliːv] vta. (pain, anxiety, boredom) → alleviare; (person) → sollevare; (bring help) → soccorrere
I am relieved to hear you are better → sono sollevato dalla notizia che stai meglio
to relieve sb of sth (load) → alleggerire qn di qc (anxiety) → sollevare qn da qc (duty) → esonerare qn da qc
to relieve sb of his command (Mil) → esonerare qn dal comando
to relieve one's anger → sfogare la propria rabbia
to relieve congestion in sth (Med) → decongestionare qc
to relieve o.s. (euph) (go to lavatory) → fare i propri bisogni
I am relieved to hear you are better → sono sollevato dalla notizia che stai meglio
to relieve sb of sth (load) → alleggerire qn di qc (anxiety) → sollevare qn da qc (duty) → esonerare qn da qc
to relieve sb of his command (Mil) → esonerare qn dal comando
to relieve one's anger → sfogare la propria rabbia
to relieve congestion in sth (Med) → decongestionare qc
to relieve o.s. (euph) (go to lavatory) → fare i propri bisogni
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
relief
(rəˈliːf) noun1. a lessening or stopping of pain, worry, boredom etc. When one has a headache, an aspirin brings relief; He gave a sigh of relief; It was a great relief to find nothing had been stolen.
2. help (eg food) given to people in need of it. famine relief; (also adjective) A relief fund has been set up to send supplies to the refugees.
3. a person who takes over some job or task from another person, usually after a given period of time. The bus-driver was waiting for his relief; (also adjective) a relief driver.
4. the act of freeing a town etc from siege. the relief of Mafeking.
5. a way of carving etc in which the design is raised above the level of its background. a carving in relief.
reˈlieve (-v) verb1. to lessen or stop (pain, worry etc). The doctor gave him some drugs to relieve the pain; to relieve the hardship of the refugees.
2. to take over a job or task from. You guard the door first, and I'll relieve you in two hours.
3. to dismiss (a person) from his job or position. He was relieved of his post/duties.
4. to take (something heavy, difficult etc) from someone. May I relieve you of that heavy case?; The new gardener relieved the old man of the burden of cutting the grass.
5. to come to the help of (a town etc which is under siege or attack).
reˈlieved adjective no longer anxious or worried. I was relieved to hear you had arrived safely.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
relieve
→ يُخَفِّفُ zmírnit lindre erleichtern ανακουφίζω aliviar helpottaa soulager olakšati alleviare 安心させる 경감시키다 verlichten lindre ulżyć aliviar облегчать avhjälpa ผ่อนคลาย dindirmek làm dịu đi 减轻Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
re·lieve
v. [pain] aliviar, mejorar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
relieve
vt aliviarEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.