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relievemore about relieve

relieve

 

  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Relieve  \Re*lieve"\  (r?-l?v"),  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Relieved} 
  (-l?vd");  p.  pr  &  vb  n.  {Relieving}.]  [OE.  releven,  F. 
  relever  to  raise  again  discharge,  relieve,  fr  L.  relevare 
  to  lift  up  raise,  make  light,  relieve;  pref.  re-  re-  + 
  levare  to  raise,  fr  levis  light.  See  {Levity},  and  cf 
  {Relevant},  {Relief}.] 
  1.  To  lift  up  to  raise  again  as  one  who  has  fallen;  to 
  cause  to  rise.  [Obs.]  --Piers  Plowman. 
 
  2.  To  cause  to  seem  to  rise;  to  put  in  relief;  to  give 
  prominence  or  conspicuousness  to  to  set  off  by  contrast. 
 
  Her  tall  figure  relieved  against  the  blue  sky; 
  seemed  almost  of  supernatural  height.  --Sir  W. 
  Scott. 
 
  3.  To  raise  up  something  in  to  introduce  a  contrast  or 
  variety  into  to  remove  the  monotony  or  sameness  of 
 
  The  poet  must  .  .  .  sometimes  relieve  the  subject 
  with  a  moral  reflection.  --Addison. 
 
  4.  To  raise  or  remove,  as  anything  which  depresses,  weighs 
  down  or  crushes;  to  render  less  burdensome  or  afflicting; 
  to  allevate;  to-abate;  to  mitigate;  to  lessen;  as  to 
  relieve  pain;  to  relieve  the  wants  of  the  poor. 
 
  5.  To  free  wholly  or  partly,  from  any  burden,  trial,  evil, 
  distress,  or  the  like  to  give  ease,  comfort,  or 
  consolation  to  to  give  aid,  help,  or  succor  to  to 
  support,  strengthen,  or  deliver;  as  to  relieve  a  besieged 
  town. 
 
  Now  lend  assistance  and  relieve  the  poor.  --Dryden. 
 
  6.  To  release  from  a  post  station,  or  duty;  to  put  another 
  in  place  of  or  to  take  the  place  of  in  the  bearing  of 
  any  burden,  or  discharge  of  any  duty. 
 
  Who  hath  relieved  you?  --Shak. 
 
  7.  To  ease  of  any  imposition,  burden,  wrong  or  oppression, 
  by  judicial  or  legislative  interposition,  as  by  the 
  removal  of  a  grievance,  by  indemnification  for  losses,  or 
  the  like  to  right 
 
  Syn:  To  alleviate;  assuage;  succor;  assist;  aid;  help; 
  support;  substain;  ease;  mitigate;  lighten;  diminish; 
  remove;  free  remedy;  redress;  indemnify. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  relieve 
  v  1:  provide  physical  relief,  as  from  pain;  "This  pill  will 
  relieve  your  headaches"  [syn:  {alleviate},  {palliate},  {assuage}] 
  2:  free  someone  temporarily  form  his  or  her  obligations  [syn:  {take 
  over}] 
  3:  grant  relief  or  an  exemption  from  a  rule  or  requirement  to 
  "She  exempted  me  from  the  exam"  [syn:  {exempt},  {free}] 
  [ant:  {enforce}] 
  4:  lessen  the  intensity  of  calm;  as  of  of  anxieties  and  fears 
  [syn:  {still},  {allay},  {ease}] 
  5:  save  from  ruin  or  destruction  [syn:  {salvage},  {salve},  {save}] 
  6:  relieve  oneself  of  troubling  information  [syn:  {unbosom}] 
  7:  provide  relief  for  [syn:  {remedy}] 
  8:  free  from  a  burden,  evil,  or  distress  [syn:  {deliver}] 
  9:  take  by  stealing;  "The  thief  relieved  me  of  $100" 
  10:  grant  exemption  or  release  to  "Please  excuse  me  from  this 
  class  [syn:  {excuse},  {let  off},  {exempt}]




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