Relieve definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

relieve in American English · 1. to ease or alleviate (pain, distress, anxiety, need, etc.) · 2. to free from anxiety, fear, pain, etc. · 3. to free from need, ... EnglishDictionary Thesaurus WordLists Grammar EnglishEasyLearningGrammar GrammarPatterns EnglishUsage TeachingResources VideoGuides Conjugations Sentences Video LearnEnglish Videopronunciations Buildyourvocabulary Quiz Englishgrammar Englishcollocations Englishconfusables Englishidioms Englishusage Thematicwordlists English French German Italian Spanish Portuguese Hindi Chinese Korean Japanese Definitionof 'relieve'    WordFrequency Share× Credits× relieve (rɪliːv ) Wordforms:3rdpersonsingularpresent tenserelieves ,presentparticiplerelieving ,pasttense,pastparticiplerelieved 1. verb Ifsomethingrelievesanunpleasantfeelingorsituation,itmakesitlessunpleasantorcausesittodisappearcompletely. Meditationcanrelievestress.[VERBnoun] Thisshouldrelievethepressureonyoutokeepherentertained.[VERBnoun] 2. verb Ifsomeoneorsomethingrelievesyouofanunpleasantfeelingordifficulttask,theytakeitfromyou. Abookkeeperwillrelieveyouoftheburdenofchasingunpaidinvoices.[VERBnoun+of] 3. verb Ifsomeonerelievesyouofsomething,theytakeitawayfromyou. [formal]Aporterrelievedherofthethreelargecases.[VERBnoun+of] 4. verb Ifyourelievesomeone,youtaketheirplaceandcontinuetodothejobordutythattheyhavebeendoing. Atseveno'clockthenightnursecameintorelieveher.[VERBnoun] Synonyms:takeoverfrom,substitutefor,standinfor,taketheplaceof MoreSynonymsofrelieve 5. verb[usuallypassive] Ifsomeoneisrelievedoftheirdutiesorisrelievedoftheirpost,theyaretoldthattheyarenolongerrequiredtocontinueintheirjob. [formal]Theofficerinvolvedwasrelievedofhisdutiesbecausehehadviolatedstrictguidelines.[beVERB-ed+of] Thepartyleaderhasbeenrelievedofhispost.[beV-edofn] 6. verb Ifanarmyrelievesatownoranotherplacewhichhasbeensurroundedbyenemyforces,itfreesit. Theoffensivebeganseveraldaysagoasanattempttorelievethetown.[VERBnoun] 7. verb Ifpeopleoranimalsrelievethemselves,theyurinateordefecate. [old-fashioned]Itisnotdifficulttotrainyourdogtorelieveitselfoncommand.[VERBpronoun-reflexive] MoreSynonymsofrelieve COBUILDAdvancedEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Video:pronunciationof relieve Youmayalsolike EnglishQuizConfusables Synonymsof'relieve' LanguageLover'sBlog FrenchTranslationof'relieve' Translateyourtext PronunciationPlaylists Wordoftheday:'libertycap' HindiTranslationof'relieve' NEWfromCollins! EnglishGrammar CollinsApps WordFrequency relieveinBritishEnglish (rɪˈliːv ) verb(transitive)1. tobringalleviationof(pain,distress,etc)to(someone) 2. tobringaidorassistanceto(someoneinneed,adisasterarea,etc) 3. totakeoverthedutiesorwatchof(someone) 4. tobringaidorarelievingforceto(abesiegedtown,city,etc) 5. tofree(someone)fromanobligation 6. tomake(something)lessunpleasant,arduous,ormonotonous 7. tobringintorelieforprominence,asbycontrast 8. (follbyof)informal totakefrom thethiefrelievedhimofhiswatch 9. Seerelieveoneself CollinsEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Derivedformsrelievable(reˈlievable)adjective WordoriginC14:fromOldFrenchrelever,fromLatinrelevāretoliftup,relieve,fromre-+levāretolighten WordFrequency relieveinAmericanEnglish (rɪˈliv ) verbtransitiveWordforms:reˈlievedorreˈlieving1. a.  toease,lighten,orreduce(pain,anxiety,etc.) b.  tofree(aperson)frompain,discomfort,anxiety,etc. c.  torestore(apartofthebody,themind,etc.)towell-being 2. a.  tolightenthepressure,stress,weight,etc.on(something) b.  tolighten(pressure,stress,etc.) 3. a.  togiveaidorassistanceto torelievethepoor b.  tobringorsendhelpto torelieveabesiegedcity 4. a.  tosetfreefromaburden,obligation,grievance,etc. b.  toremove(aburden,etc.) 5. a.  tosetfreefromdutyorworkbyreplacingwithoneselforanother torelieveanurse b. US,Baseball toserveasareliefpitcherfor(anotherpitcher) 6.  tomakelesstedious,monotonous,etc.bybeingorprovidingapleasingchange 7.  tosetoffbycontrast;makedistinctorprominent verbintransitiveUS8. Baseball toserveasareliefpitcher SIMILARWORDS: ˈcomfort Idioms:relieveoneself SYNONYMYNOTE:relieveimpliesthereductionofmisery,discomfort,ortediousnesssufficientlytomake itbearable[theyplayedagametorelievethemonotonyofthetrip];alleviateimpliestemporaryrelief,suggestingthatthesourceofthemiseryremainsunaffected [drugstoalleviatethepain];lighten1impliesacheeringorgladdeningasbyreducingtheweightofoppressionordepression [nothingcanlightentheburdenofourgrief];assuagesuggestsasofteningorpacifyinginfluenceinlesseningpain,calmingpassion,etc. [herkindwordsassuagedhisresentment];mitigateimpliesamoderatingormakingmilderofthatwhichislikelytocausepain[tomitigateapunishment];allaysuggestsaneffective,althoughtemporaryorincomplete,calmingorquieting[we'veallayedtheirsuspicions]Webster’sNewWorldCollegeDictionary,4thEdition.Copyright©2010by HoughtonMifflinHarcourt.Allrightsreserved. Derivedformsrelievable(reˈlievable) adjective reliever(reˈliever) noun WordoriginMEreleven