relieve
verbEtymology
From Late Middle English releven, from Old French relever, specifically from the conjugated forms such as (jeo) relieve (“I lift up”), and its source, Latin relevo (“to lift up, lighten, relieve, alleviate”), combined form of re- (“back”) + levo (“to lift”). Doublet of relevate. Compare levant, levity, etc.
Definitions
To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress
To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of.
- I was greatly relieved by the jury's verdict.
To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or…
To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or discomfort.
To alleviate (pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.).
›+ 10 more definitionsshow fewer
To provide comfort or assistance to (someone in need, especially in poverty).
To lift up
To lift up; to raise again.
To raise (someone) out of danger or from (a specified difficulty etc.).
To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations
To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations; to give legal relief to.
- This shall not relieve either Party of any obligations.
To bring military help to (a besieged town)
To bring military help to (a besieged town); to lift the siege on.
To release (someone) from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
- Carrados was carrying a small leather case which he allowed Loudham to relieve him of, together with his hat and gloves.
- They had thought it obsolete, but, were relieved of this misapprehension by Yule’s friend Major Trotter.
To free (someone) from their post, task etc. by taking their place.
To make (something) stand out
To make (something) stand out; to make prominent, bring into relief.
- The henna should be deeply dyed to make / The skin relieved appear more fairly fair […]
- The night whose sable breast relieves the stark / White stars is no less lovely being dark
To urinate or defecate.
To ease one's own desire to orgasm, often through masturbation to orgasm.
- Nevertheless, to relieve oneself takes the edge off the desire and doesn't take advantage of others.
The neighborhood
Vish — recursive loop
A definitional loop anchored at relieve. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.
A definitional loop anchored at relieve. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.
5 hops · closes at relieve
curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA