to ease or alleviate (pain, distress, anxiety, need, etc.).
2.
to free from anxiety, fear, pain, etc.
3.
to free from need, poverty, etc.
4.
to bring effective aid to (a besieged town, military position, etc.).
5.
to ease (a person) of any burden, wrong, or oppression, as by legal means.
6.
to reduce (a pressure, load, weight, etc., on a device or object under stress): to relieve the steam pressure; to relieve the stress on the supporting walls.
7.
to make less tedious, unpleasant, or monotonous; break or vary the sameness of: curtains to relieve the drabness of the room.
8.
to bring into relief or prominence; heighten the effect of.
9.
to release (one on duty) by coming as or providing a substitute or replacement.
10.
Machinery.
a.
to free (a closed space, as a tank, boiler, etc.) of more than a desirable pressure or vacuum.
b.
to reduce (the pressure or vacuum in such a space) to a desirable level.
11.
Baseball. to replace (a pitcher).
–verb (used without object)
12.
Baseball. to act as a relief pitcher: He relieved in 52 games for the Pirates last season.
—Idiom
13.
to relieve oneself, to urinate or defecate.
[Origin: 1300–50; ME releven < MF relever to raise < L relevāre to reduce the load of, lighten, equiv. to re-re-+ levāre to raise, deriv. of levis light in weight]
To cause a lessening or alleviation of: relieved all his symptoms; relieved the tension.
To free from pain, anxiety, or distress.
To furnish assistance or aid to.
To rescue from siege.
To release (a person) from an obligation, restriction, or burden, as by law or legislation.
To free from a specified duty by providing or acting as a substitute.
Baseball To take over for (a relief pitcher).
To make less tedious, monotonous, or unpleasant: Only one small candle relieved the gloom.
To make prominent or effective by contrast; set off.
Informal To rob or deprive: Pickpockets relieved him of his money.
[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: 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). "Men turn to him in the hour of distress, as of all statesmen the most fitted to palliate it" (William E.H. Lecky).
c.1300, from O.Fr. relever "to raise, relieve" (11c.), from L. relevare "to raise, alleviate," from re-, intensive prefix, + levare "to lift up, lighten," from levis "not heavy" (see lever). The notion is "to raise (someone) out of trouble." Reliever in the baseball pitcher sense is recorded from 1967.
provide physical relief, as from pain; "This pill will relieve your headaches"
2.
free someone temporarily from his or her obligations [syn: take over]
3.
grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to; "She exempted me from the exam" [syn: exempt] [ant: apply]
4.
lessen the intensity of or calm; "The news eased my conscience"; "still the fears" [syn: still]
5.
save from ruin, destruction, or harm [syn: salvage]
6.
relieve oneself of troubling information [syn: unbosom]
7.
provide relief for; "remedy his illness" [syn: remedy]
8.
free from a burden, evil, or distress
9.
take by stealing; "The thief relieved me of $100"
10.
grant exemption or release to; "Please excuse me from this class" [syn: excuse]
11.
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"
to lessen or stop (pain, worry etc) Example: The doctor gave him some drugs to relieve the pain; to relieve the hardship of the refugees
Arabic:
يُريح، يُخَفِّف
Chinese (Simplified):
减轻（痛苦）
Chinese (Traditional):
減輕(痛苦)
Czech:
ulevit
Danish:
lindre; fjerne
Dutch:
verlichten
Estonian:
leevendama
Finnish:
lievittää
French:
soulager
German:
erleichtern
Greek:
ανακουφίζω, καταπραΰνω
Hungarian:
enyhít
Icelandic:
lina, létta, draga úr
Indonesian:
meredakan
Italian:
alleviare
Japanese:
和らげる
Korean:
덜다, 완화하다
Latvian:
atvieglot
Lithuanian:
palengvinti, sumažinti
Norwegian:
lindre, mildne, lette
Polish:
ulżyć
Portuguese (Brazil):
aliviar
Portuguese (Portugal):
aliviar
Romanian:
a alina
Russian:
облегчать
Slovak:
uľaviť
Slovenian:
ublažiti
Spanish:
aliviar
Swedish:
lindra
Turkish:
sıkıntısını hafifletmek, azaltmak
reˈlieve2[-v]verb
to take over a job or task from Example: You guard the door first, and I'll relieve you in two hours.
Arabic:
يَحِلُّ مَحَل
Chinese (Simplified):
换岗
Chinese (Traditional):
換崗
Czech:
vystřídat
Danish:
afløse
Dutch:
aflossen
Estonian:
välja vahetama
Finnish:
laskea pois
French:
relayer
German:
ablösen
Greek:
αντικαθιστώ
Hungarian:
felvált
Icelandic:
leysa af
Indonesian:
menggantikan
Italian:
sostituire
Japanese:
交替する
Korean:
교대하다
Latvian:
nomainīt (darbā)
Lithuanian:
pakeisti
Norwegian:
avløse
Polish:
zmienić, zluzować
Portuguese (Brazil):
substituir
Portuguese (Portugal):
substituir
Romanian:
a schimba
Russian:
сменять
Slovak:
vystriedať
Slovenian:
zamenjati
Spanish:
relevar, sustituir
Swedish:
avlösa
Turkish:
nöbeti, *görevi devralmak
reˈlieve3[-v]verb
to dismiss (a person) from his job or position Example: He was relieved of his post/duties.
Arabic:
يُحَرِّر، يُعْفي من وَظيفَه
Chinese (Simplified):
解除
Chinese (Traditional):
解除
Czech:
propustit
Danish:
frigøre
Dutch:
ontheffen
Estonian:
vallandama
Finnish:
vapauttaa
French:
relever (de)
German:
entlassen
Greek:
απαλλάσσω κπ. από τα καθήκοντά του
Hungarian:
felment
Icelandic:
leysa frá störfum
Indonesian:
membebastugaskan
Italian:
sollevare, rimuovere
Japanese:
解職する
Korean:
해고하다
Latvian:
atbrīvot no darba, atlaist
Lithuanian:
atleisti
Norwegian:
bli fritatt for tjeneste
Polish:
zwolnić
Portuguese (Brazil):
desobrigar
Portuguese (Portugal):
exonerar
Romanian:
a elibera (din)
Russian:
освободить
Slovak:
prepustiť
Slovenian:
odstaviti
Spanish:
despedir
Swedish:
entlediga
Turkish:
atmak
reˈlieve4[-v]verb
to take (something heavy, difficult etc) from someone Example: May I relieve you of that heavy case?; The new gardener relieved the old man of the burden of cutting the grass.
Arabic:
يأخُذ عَن
Chinese (Simplified):
替…人拿…
Chinese (Traditional):
替…人拿…
Czech:
zbavit
Danish:
skille af med; aflaste
Dutch:
overnemen
Estonian:
(koormast) vabastama
French:
débarrasser de
German:
entlasten
Greek:
ξαλαφρώνω κπ., απαλλάσσω
Hungarian:
levesz vkiről (terhet)
Icelandic:
losa við, *undan
Indonesian:
membebaskan
Italian:
alleggerire
Japanese:
代る
Korean:
(짐·고통을) 덜어 주다
Latvian:
atslogot; palīdzēt, *aizstāt
Lithuanian:
išvaduoti, atpalaiduoti
Norwegian:
avhjelpe, unnsette, avlaste
Polish:
uwolnić
Portuguese (Brazil):
isentar
Portuguese (Portugal):
ajudar
Romanian:
a degreva (de), a despovăra (de)
Russian:
освобождать
Slovak:
zbaviť
Slovenian:
razbremeniti
Spanish:
quitar, librar de (un peso, una carga, etc)
Swedish:
befria
Turkish:
kurtarmak
reˈlieve5[-v]verb
to come to the help of (a town etc which is under siege or attack)
Main Entry: re·lieve Pronunciation: ri-'lEv Function: transitive verb Inflected Forms: re·lieved; re·liev·ing 1: to bring about the removal or alleviation of (pain or discomfort) 2: to discharge the bladder or bowels of (oneself) —re·liev·ernoun
Main Entry: re·lieve Function: transitive verb Inflected Forms: re·lieved; re·liev·ing : 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 South
Western Reporter, Second Series 262 (1995)>
Rel"e*vant\ (-vant), a. [F. relevant, p. pr. of relever to raise again, to relieve. See Relieve.]1. Relieving; lending aid or support. [R.] --Pownall. 2. Bearing upon, or properly applying to, the case in hand; pertinent; applicable. Close and relevant arguments have very little hold on the passions. --Sydney Smith. 3. (Scots Law) Sufficient to support the cause.
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Audio Help [ri-leev] Pronunciation Key verb, -lieved, -liev·ing. 
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