Definition of relieve - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
medicalease physical pain or discomfort
- This medicine will relieve your headache.
2.
psychologyease someone's mental distress or anxiety
- Talking to a friend can relieve anxiety.
3.
responsibilityfree someone from a responsibility or task
- He was relieved of his duties at work.
4.
ease tensionprovide a break or diversion from something unpleasant
- A funny movie can relieve stress..
5.
helptake something away from someone
- The thief relieved him of his wallet.
6.
militaryfree a besieged place from enemy forces
- The army was sent to relieve the city.
7.
bodily functiontr./intr. Dated US urinate or defecatetr./intr. Dated US
- He went to relieve himself before the trip.
Expressions with relieve
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
express emotions to feel better
She cried to relieve her feelings.
urinate or defecate in a discreet manner
During the intermission, she slipped out to relieve herself quickly.
reduce mental or emotional strain
Listening to music can help relieve stress after a long day.
reduce the amount of stress or tension
She took a walk to relieve the pressure after a long day at work.
make someone feel less worried or anxious
Her kind words relieved his mind after the bad news.
take something away from someone to free them from it
The manager relieved him of his duties.
remove someone from their responsibilities or tasks
The manager relieved him of duties after the incident.
remove someone from a job or position of responsibility
The captain was relieved of a post after the incident.
steal money from someone's wallet
The pickpocket relieved his wallet without him noticing.
Origin of relieve
Old French, relever (to raise)
Terms with relieve included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
itch relief
rub skin with nails to relieve itching
emotional support
relieve someone's distress or suffering
relief
act of scratching to relieve itch
pain relief
movement to relieve back pain
stress relief
relieve stress or anxiety
public facilities
go somewhere briefly to relieve oneself using a restroom
pain relief
pad used to relieve pain with heat
skin
scratch or rub to relieve an itch
relieve ear pressure
make ear pressure feel normal by swallowing or yawning
stress relief
small soft ball squeezed in the hand to relieve stress
relaxation
relax and relieve stress
venting
express feelings to relieve stress
medical
plant-based treatments used to relieve illness, pain or support general health
temporary relief
relieve temporarily from an unpleasant situation
relief
relieve a physical itch by scratching
pain relief
calm or relieve physical pain
pain relief
cream used by athletes to soothe injuries or relieve muscle pain
relieve burden
relieve someone by accepting something burdensome from them
psychology
express emotions or thoughts to relieve burden
exempt
relieve from duty or responsibility
work
relieve someone temporarily
work
relieve someone of duty
medical
cure or relieve a disease or illness
emotion
satisfy or relieve a demand or feeling
Examples of relieve in a sentence
The ointment helped relieve the athlete's sore joints. Meditation can relieve stress effectively. Listening to music helps relieve tension after a long day. The manager relieved him from the project. She was relieved of her committee responsibilities. Listening to music can relieve anxiety.
A short walk can relieve the monotony of the day. The scammer relieved her of her savings. A sudden gust relieved him of his hat. Reinforcements were dispatched to relieve the fort. The mission was to relieve the trapped battalion. She needed to relieve herself after the long drive. The dog was taken outside to relieve itself.
View all translations of relieve
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:soulager, décharger, ...
- German:lindern, entbinden, ...
- Italian:alleviare, sollevare dai doveri, ...
- Spanish:aliviar, liberar, ...
- Portuguese:aliviar, acalmar, ...
- Chinese:缓解, 解除, ...
- Japanese:和らげる, 解放する, ...
- Arabic:خَفَّفَ, هَدَّأَ, ...
- Hebrew:לְהָקֵל, לְהַקֵּל עַל, ...
- Russian:облегчить, облегчать, ...
- Ukrainian:полегшити, полегшувати, ...
- Hindi:आराम देना, कम करना, ...
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