palliating
Making less severe
Palliating is easing the severity of something without curing or eliminating it.
The word applies especially to medical care that manages pain and symptoms rather than treating underlying disease: palliating the effects of terminal cancer.
More broadly, it means making a bad situation more bearable: palliating public outrage with a formal apology.
Forgiving a transgression
- mitigatingReducing harm or severity
- softeningBecoming less firm
- downplayingDiminishing perceived significance
- minimizingReducing to smallest extent
extenuating · rationalizing · glossing over · whitewashing · tempering · cushioning · moderating · explaining away
Lessening disease's felt effects
- pain managementReducing patient suffering medically
- comfort careSymptom relief, not cure
- hospiceTerminal illness comfort program
- analgesicsDrugs that reduce pain
morphine · sedation · terminal illness · end-of-life · nursing · opioids · dyspnea · breathlessness
Temporary substitute measure
- band-aid solutionSuperficial fix masking deeper problems
- quick fixHasty temporary solution
- makeshiftTemporary, improvised substitute
- patchingRepairing by covering
holding action · delaying tactic · buying time · workaround · half-measure · surface-level · placeholder · bridging
excusing
Forgiving a transgression
- mitigatingReducing harm or severity
- softeningBecoming less firm
- downplayingDiminishing perceived significance
minimizing · extenuating · rationalizing · glossing over · whitewashing · tempering · cushioning · moderating · explaining away · qualifying
symptom relief
Lessening disease's felt effects
- pain managementReducing patient suffering medically
- comfort careSymptom relief, not cure
- hospiceTerminal illness comfort program
analgesics · morphine · sedation · terminal illness · end-of-life · nursing · opioids · dyspnea · breathlessness · cachexia
stopgap
Temporary substitute measure
- band-aid solutionSuperficial fix masking deeper problems
- quick fixHasty temporary solution
- makeshiftTemporary, improvised substitute
patching · holding action · delaying tactic · buying time · workaround · half-measure · surface-level · placeholder · bridging · expedient
palliatingaggravating
Causing irritation or worsening
exacerbating · worsening · intensifying · inflaming · agitating
palliatingagitating
Disturbing or stirring up
irritating · provoking · inflaming · inciting · stirring up
palliatingcuring
Restoring health or preserving
healing · remedying · eradicating · eliminating · resolving
- palliative careRelief-focused medicine for illness
- palliative care doctorDoctor easing serious illness suffering
- palliative care specialistDoctor managing terminal comfort