relieve Definition
- 1cause (pain, distress, or difficulty) to become less severe or serious
- 2cause (someone) to stop feeling distressed or anxious
- 3take over from (someone) in a job or duty
Using relieve: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "relieve" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The medicine should relieve the pain.
Example
Talking to a friend can relieve stress and anxiety.
Example
I'll come in early tomorrow to relieve you.
relieve Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using relieve
Example
After the exam, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Example
The charity aims to give relief to those affected by the disaster.
bring relief
provide a welcome change from something unpleasant
Example
The rain brought relief from the heat.
Phrases with relieve
Example
Excuse me, I need to relieve myself.
Example
Playing games can relieve the boredom of a long journey.
Example
A good joke can relieve the tension in a room.
Origins of relieve
from Old French 'relever', from Latin 'relevare', meaning 'to lift up again'
Summary: relieve in Brief
To 'relieve' [rɪˈliːv] is to reduce or remove pain, distress, or difficulty, such as with medicine or talking to a friend. It can also mean to take over a job or duty, as in 'I'll come in early tomorrow to relieve you.' The phrase 'relieve oneself' refers to urinating or defecating, while 'a sigh of relief' expresses relief that something difficult has passed.