14 results for: Alleviate

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

al·le·vi·ate

Audio Help [uh-lee-vee-eyt] Pronunciation Key

–verb (used with object), -at·ed, -at·ing.

to make easier to endure; lessen; mitigate: to alleviate sorrow; to alleviate pain.

[Origin: 1425–75; late ME alleviaten < LL alleviātus (ptp. of alleviāre), equiv. to al- al- + levi(s) light, not heavy + -ātus -ate¹

]

—Synonyms lighten, diminish, abate, relieve, assuage.

—Antonyms increase, strengthen; aggravate, intensify.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Alleviate

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

al·le·vi·ate Audio Help (ə-lē'vē-āt') Pronunciation Key
tr.v. al·le·vi·at·ed, al·le·vi·at·ing, al·le·vi·ates
To make (pain, for example) more bearable: a drug that alleviates cold symptoms. See Synonyms at relieve.

[Middle English alleviaten, from Late Latin alleviāre, alleviāt-, to lighten : Latin ad-, ad- + levis, light; see leg^wh- in Indo-European roots.]

al·le'vi·a'tion n., al·le'vi·a'tor n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
alleviate

1528, from L.L. alleviatus, pp. of alleviare "to lighten," from L. ad- "to" + levis "light" in weight (see lever).

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

alleviate
verb
1.	provide physical relief, as from pain; "This pill will relieve your headaches" [syn: relieve]
2.	make easier; "you could facilitate the process by sharing your knowledge" [syn: facilitate]

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
alleviate [əˈliːvieit] verb

to make an improvement by lessening (pain etc)
Example: The drugs will alleviate the pain.

Arabic:	يُخَفِّف ، يُسَكِّن
Chinese (Simplified):	减轻（痛苦等）
Chinese (Traditional):	減輕(痛苦等)
Czech:	zmírnit, utišit, ulevit
Danish:	lindre; lette; mildne
Dutch:	verlichten
Estonian:	leevendama
Finnish:	lievittää
French:	soulager
German:	erleichtern
Greek:	ανακουφίζω
Hungarian:	csillapít, enyhít
Icelandic:	lina, draga úr
Indonesian:	meredakan, mengurangi
Italian:	alleviare

Japanese:	緩和する
Korean:	경감하다
Latvian:	atvieglot; remdēt
Lithuanian:	numalšinti, palengvinti
Norwegian:	lindre, lette, mildne
Polish:	uśmierzać, ulżyć
Portuguese (Brazil):	aliviar
Portuguese (Portugal):	aliviar
Romanian:	a alina
Russian:	облегчать
Slovak:	uľahčiť, zmierniť
Slovenian:	(o)lajšati
Spanish:	aliviar
Swedish:	lätta, lindra
Turkish:	hafifletmek, dindirmek

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Main Entry: al·le·vi·ate
Pronunciation: &-'lE-vE-"At
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: -at·ed; -at·ing
: to make (as symptoms) less severe or more bearable <a lotion to alleviate itching> —al·le·vi·a·tion /-"lE-vE-'A-sh&n/ noun

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Alleviate

A*legge"\, v. t. [OE. aleggen, alegen, OF. alegier, F. all['e]ger, fr. LL. alleviare, for L. allevare to lighten; ad + levis light. Cf. Alleviate, Allay, Allege.] To allay or alleviate; to lighten. [Obs.]

That shall alegge this bitter blast. --Spenser.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Alleviate

Al*lay"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Allayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Allaying.] [OE. alaien, aleggen, to lay down, put down, humble, put an end to, AS. [=a]lecgan; [=a]- (cf. Goth. us-, G. er-, orig. meaning out) + lecgan to lay; but confused with old forms of allege, alloy, alegge. See Lay.]

1. To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm; as, to allay popular excitement; to allay the tumult of the passions.

2. To alleviate; to abate; to mitigate; as, to allay the severity of affliction or the bitterness of adversity.

It would allay the burning quality of that fell poison. --Shak.

Syn: To alleviate; check; repress; assuage; appease; abate; subdue; destroy; compose; soothe; calm; quiet. See Alleviate.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Alleviate

Al*le"vi*ate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Alleviated; p. pr. & vb. n. Alleviating.] [LL. alleviare, fr. L. ad + levis light. See Alegge, Levity.]

1. To lighten or lessen the force or weight of. [Obs.]

Should no others join capable to alleviate the expense. --Evelyn.

Those large bladders . . . conduce much to the alleviating of the body [of flying birds]. --Ray.

2. To lighten or lessen (physical or mental troubles); to mitigate, or make easier to be endured; as, to alleviate sorrow, pain, care, etc.; -- opposed to aggravate.

The calamity of the want of the sense of hearing is much alleviated by giving the use of letters. --Bp. Horsley.

3. To extenuate; to palliate. [R.]

He alleviates his fault by an excuse. --Johnson.

Syn: To lessen; diminish; soften; mitigate; assuage; abate; relieve; nullify; allay.

Usage: To Alleviate, Mitigate, Assuage, Allay. These words have in common the idea of relief from some painful state; and being all figurative, they differ in their application, according to the image under which this idea is presented. Alleviate supposes a load which is lightened or taken off; as, to alleviate one's cares. Mitigate supposes something fierce which is made mild; as, to mitigate one's anguish. Assuage supposes something violent which is quieted; as, to assuage one's sorrow. Allay supposes something previously excited, but now brought down; as, to allay one's suffering or one's thirst. To alleviate the distresses of life; to mitigate the fierceness of passion or the violence of grief; to assuage angry feeling; to allay wounded sensibility.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Alleviate

Al*le"vi*ate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Alleviated; p. pr. & vb. n. Alleviating.] [LL. alleviare, fr. L. ad + levis light. See Alegge, Levity.]

1. To lighten or lessen the force or weight of. [Obs.]

Should no others join capable to alleviate the expense. --Evelyn.

Those large bladders . . . conduce much to the alleviating of the body [of flying birds]. --Ray.

2. To lighten or lessen (physical or mental troubles); to mitigate, or make easier to be endured; as, to alleviate sorrow, pain, care, etc.; -- opposed to aggravate.

The calamity of the want of the sense of hearing is much alleviated by giving the use of letters. --Bp. Horsley.

3. To extenuate; to palliate. [R.]

He alleviates his fault by an excuse. --Johnson.

Syn: To lessen; diminish; soften; mitigate; assuage; abate; relieve; nullify; allay.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Alleviate

As*suage"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Assuaged; p. pr. & vb. n. Assuaging.] [OE. asuagen, aswagen, OF. asoagier, asuagier, fr. assouagier, fr. L. ad + suavis sweet. See Sweet.] To soften, in a figurative sense; to allay, mitigate, ease, or lessen, as heat, pain, or grief; to appease or pacify, as passion or tumult; to satisfy, as appetite or desire.

Refreshing winds the summer's heat assuage. --Addison.

To assuage the sorrows of a desolate old man --Burke.

The fount at which the panting mind assuages Her thirst of knowledge. --Byron.

Syn: To alleviate; mitigate; appease; soothe; calm; tranquilize; relieve. See Alleviate.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Alleviate

Le"ver\ (l[=e]"v[~e]r or l[e^]v"[~e]r; 277), n. [OE. levour, OF. leveor, prop., a lifter, fr. F. lever to raise, L. levare; akin to levis light in weight, E. levity, and perh. to E. light not heavy: cf. F. levier. Cf. Alleviate, Elevate, Leaven, Legerdemain, Levee, Levy, n.]

1. (Mech.) A rigid piece which is capable of turning about one point, or axis (the fulcrum), and in which are two or more other points where forces are applied; -- used for transmitting and modifying force and motion. Specif., a bar of metal, wood, or other rigid substance, used to exert a pressure, or sustain a weight, at one point of its length, by receiving a force or power at a second, and turning at a third on a fixed point called a fulcrum. It is usually named as the first of the six mechanical powers, and is of three kinds, according as either the fulcrum F, the weight W, or the power P, respectively, is situated between the other two, as in the figures.

2. (Mach.) (a) A bar, as a capstan bar, applied to a rotatory piece to turn it. (b) An arm on a rock shaft, to give motion to the shaft or to obtain motion from it.

Compound lever, a machine consisting of two or more levers acting upon each other.

Lever escapement. See Escapement.

Lever jack. See Jack, n., 5.

Lever watch, a watch having a vibrating lever to connect the action of the escape wheel with that of the balance.

Universal lever, a machine formed by a combination of a lever with the wheel and axle, in such a manner as to convert the reciprocating motion of the lever into a continued rectilinear motion of some body to which the power is applied.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Alleviate

Mit"i*gate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mitigated; p. pr. & vb. n. Mitigating.] [L. mitigatus, p. p. of mitigare to soften, mitigate; mitis mild, soft + the root of agere to do, drive.]

1. To make less severe, intense, harsh, rigorous, painful, etc.; to soften; to meliorate; to alleviate; to diminish; to lessen; as, to mitigate heat or cold; to mitigate grief.

2. To make mild and accessible; to mollify; -- applied to persons. [Obs.]

This opinion . . . mitigated kings into companions. --Burke.

Syn: To alleviate; assuage; allay. See Alleviate.

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