relieve
Other forms: relieved; relieving; relieves
To relieve is to ease a burden or take over for someone. An aspirin can relieve a headache, and a substitute can relieve the teacher who fell asleep on her desk after lunch.
Relieve comes from the Latin word relevare meaning "to help" or "make light again." An ice pack might relieve a pain in your elbow, but you can also be relieved of your duties if you get fired (or taken out to lunch). A thief might even relieve you of your wallet. Like thief, relieve is the rare word that actually follows the "i" before "e" rule ("i" before "e" except after "c" or when sounded as "a" as in "neighbor" and "weigh"). Aren't you relieved?
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free from a burden, evil, or distress
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type of:
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disembarrass, free, rid
relieve from
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disembarrass, free, rid
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provide relief for
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provide physical relief, as from pain
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free someone temporarily from his or her obligations
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save from ruin, destruction, or harm
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relieve oneself of troubling information
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grant exemption or release to
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grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to
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types:
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derestrict
make free from restrictions
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deregulate
lift the regulations on
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dispense
grant a dispensation; grant an exemption
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forgive
absolve from payment
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spare
save or relieve from an experience or action
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take by stealing“The thief relieved me of $100”
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type of:
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take
take by force
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take
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lessen the intensity of or calm
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alleviate or remove (pressure or stress) or make less oppressive
/rəˈliv/
/rɪˈliv/
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Copy citationVocabulary lists containing relieve
After many years in foster care, 12-year-old Hollis is determined to stay with her new caretaker, Josie — but she also misses the Regan family.
This list covers Bronx Masquerade, "A BEACON of Hope," "Shree Bose," and "Letter to His Daughter."
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