Library / English Dictionary

RELIEVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Provide physical relief, as from pain

Example:

This pill will relieve your headaches

Synonyms:

alleviate; assuage; palliate; relieve

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "relieve" is one way to...):

ameliorate; amend; better; improve; meliorate (to make better)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "relieve"):

soothe (cause to feel better)

comfort; ease (lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Provide relief for

Example:

remedy his illness

Synonyms:

relieve; remedy

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "relieve" is one way to...):

care for; treat (provide treatment for)

Domain category:

medicine; practice of 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)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Alleviate or remove (pressure or stress) or make less oppressive

Example:

lighten the burden of caring for her elderly parents

Synonyms:

lighten; relieve

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "relieve" is one way to...):

mitigate (make less severe or harsh)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Grant exemption or release to

Example:

Please excuse me from this class

Synonyms:

excuse; exempt; let off; relieve

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "relieve" is one way to...):

absolve; free (let off the hook)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "relieve"):

frank (exempt by means of an official pass or letter, as from customs or other checks)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP

Sentence example:

Sam cannot relieve Sue

Sense 5

Meaning:

Relieve oneself of troubling information

Synonyms:

relieve; unbosom

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "relieve" is one way to...):

confide (reveal in private; tell confidentially)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They relieve themselves

Sense 6

Meaning:

Lessen the intensity of or calm

Example:

still the fears

Synonyms:

allay; ease; relieve; still

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "relieve" is one way to...):

comfort; console; solace; soothe (give moral or emotional strength to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "relieve"):

abreact (discharge bad feelings or tension through verbalization)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

The good news will relieve her

Derivation:

reliever (a person who reduces the intensity (e.g., of fears) and calms and pacifies)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Take by stealing

Example:

The thief relieved me of $100

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "relieve" is one way to...):

take (take by force)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody of something

Sentence example:

They relieve him of all his money

Sense 8

Meaning:

Free from a burden, evil, or distress

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "relieve" is one way to...):

disembarrass; free; rid (relieve from)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody of something

Sense 9

Meaning:

Free someone temporarily from his or her obligations

Synonyms:

relieve; take over

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "relieve" is one way to...):

discharge; free (free from obligations or duties)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "relieve"):

spell (relieve (someone) from work by taking a turn)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot relieve Sue

Derivation:

reliever (a pitcher who does not start the game)

reliever (someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult))

Sense 10

Meaning:

Save from ruin, destruction, or harm

Synonyms:

relieve; salvage; salve; save

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "relieve" is one way to...):

deliver; rescue (free from harm or evil)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 11

Meaning:

Grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to

Example:

She exempted me from the exam

Synonyms:

exempt; free; relieve

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "relieve"):

derestrict (make free from restrictions)

deregulate (lift the regulations on)

dispense (grant a dispensation; grant an exemption)

forgive (absolve from payment)

spare (save or relieve from an experience or action)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody PP

Credits

 Context examples: 

He became greatly frightened at this and made many motions to Dorothy to relieve him, but she could not understand.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

The Professor and I looked at each other for an instant, and somehow we both seemed relieved.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The completion of the preparations for my breakfast, by relieving the fire, gave her such extreme joy that she laughed aloud—and a very unmelodious laugh she had, I must say.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

"I should like much to send all the rest after him," muttered the Professor, coming back with a relieved air.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Nonnarcotic agents that relieve pain and reduce fever.

(Analgesic and Antipyretic, NCI Thesaurus)

A doctor who specializes in giving drugs or other agents to prevent or relieve pain during surgery or other procedures being done in the hospital.

(Anesthesiologist, NCI Dictionary)

As a result, this may relieve symptoms associated with hormonally dependent disease states such as hormone-dependent prostate cancer.

(Ozarelix, NCI Thesaurus)

I could offer no explanation of them, but their truth in part relieved the burden of my mysterious woe.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

When inhibiting COX-2, this agent may be effective in relieving pain and inflammation; when inhibiting COX-1, it may produce unacceptable gastrointestinal side effects.

(Oxaprozin, NCI Thesaurus)

Some OTC medicines relieve aches, pains and itches.

(Over-the-Counter Medicines, Food and Drug Administration)