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alleviate

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alleviate


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Alleviate  \Al*le"vi*ate\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Alleviated};  p. 
  pr  &  vb  n.  {Alleviating}.]  [LL.  alleviare  fr  L.  ad  + 
  levis  light.  See  {Alegge},  {Levity}.] 
  1.  To  lighten  or  lessen  the  force  or  weight  of  [Obs.] 
 
  Should  no  others  join  capable  to  alleviate  the 
  expense.  --Evelyn. 
 
  Those  large  bladders  .  .  .  conduce  much  to  the 
  alleviating  of  the  body  [of  flying  birds].  --Ray. 
 
  2.  To  lighten  or  lessen  (physical  or  mental  troubles);  to 
  mitigate,  or  make  easier  to  be  endured;  as  to  alleviate 
  sorrow,  pain,  care  etc.;  --  opposed  to  {aggravate}. 
 
  The  calamity  of  the  want  of  the  sense  of  hearing  is 
  much  alleviated  by  giving  the  use  of  letters.  --Bp. 
  Horsley. 
 
  3.  To  extenuate;  to  palliate.  [R.] 
 
  He  alleviates  his  fault  by  an  excuse.  --Johnson. 
 
  Syn:  To  lessen;  diminish;  soften;  mitigate;  assuage;  abate; 
  relieve;  nullify;  allay. 
 
  Usage:  To  {Alleviate},  {Mitigate},  {Assuage},  {Allay}.  These 
  words  have  in  common  the  idea  of  relief  from  some 
  painful  state;  and  being  all  figurative,  they  differ 
  in  their  application,  according  to  the  image  under 
  which  this  idea  is  presented.  Alleviate  supposes  a 
  load  which  is  lightened  or  taken  off  as  to  alleviate 
  one's  cares  Mitigate  supposes  something  fierce  which 
  is  made  mild;  as  to  mitigate  one's  anguish.  Assuage 
  supposes  something  violent  which  is  quieted;  as  to 
  assuage  one's  sorrow.  Allay  supposes  something 
  previously  excited,  but  now  brought  down  as  to  allay 
  one's  suffering  or  one's  thirst.  To  alleviate  the 
  distresses  of  life;  to  mitigate  the  fierceness  of 
  passion  or  the  violence  of  grief;  to  assuage  angry 
  feeling;  to  allay  wounded  sensibility. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  alleviate 
  v  1:  provide  physical  relief,  as  from  pain;  "This  pill  will 
  relieve  your  headaches"  [syn:  {relieve},  {palliate},  {assuage}] 
  2:  make  easier;  "you  could  facilitate  the  process  by  sharing 
  youor  knowledge"  [syn:  {facilitate},  {ease}] 




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