relieve

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To make pain, worry, or a problem less severe.

   This pill will relieve your headache.

2. 2
   verb

   To free someone from a duty, task, or responsibility.

   A new guard came to relieve him at midnight.

3. 3
   verb

   To bring help to a town or army that is surrounded by an enemy.

   Troops were sent to relieve the besieged city.

Common collocations

• relieve pain Verb + noun
• relieve pressure Verb + noun

From Late Middle English releven, from Old French relever, specifically from the conjugated forms such as (jeo) relieve (“I lift up”), and its source, Latin relevo (“to lift up, lighten, relieve, alleviate”), combined form of re- (“back”) + levo (“to lift”). Doublet of relevate. Compare levant, levity, etc.

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