relieve
Take over for
Relieve means to lessen or remove something unpleasant—pain, pressure, anxiety, boredom.
A medication relieves symptoms; a joke relieves tension.
To relieve someone is to take over their duties: The night shift will relieve us at midnight.
In military contexts, to relieve a city is to end its siege.
To relieve yourself is a euphemism for urinating or defecating.
What a relief expresses gratitude when burden lifts.
Gently ease discomfort
allay · assuage · palliate · lighten · ameliorate · abate · reduce · soften
Make less heavy
- offloadTransfer elsewhere to lighten
- decompressRelease stored pressure
- unloadRemove contents from
- delegateEntrust authority to another
share · lift · remove · free · release · declutter · simplify · disentangle
Comfort in distress
- reassureEase someone's doubts
- solaceRelief from distress
- calmFree from agitation
- pacifyTo calm agitation
nurture · succor · support · sanctuary · refuge · warmth · tenderness · embrace
Put something else there
- spellArrange letters correctly
- stand inTemporary substitute person
- coverProtect by overlaying
- take overAssume control of something
rotate · alternate · switch · backup · understudy · fill in · pinch-hit · deputize
Without payment or restriction
- releaseTo let go
- dischargeRelease of substance outward
- emancipateGrant freedom to
- unbindTo release from bonds
unshackle · unchain · unfetter · loose · let go · extricate · rescue · deliver
soothe
Gently ease discomfort
diminish · allay · assuage · palliate · lighten · ameliorate · abate · reduce · soften · moderate
lighten
Make less heavy
- offloadTransfer elsewhere to lighten
- decompressRelease stored pressure
- unloadRemove contents from
delegate · share · lift · remove · free · release · declutter · simplify · disentangle · extricate
console
Comfort in distress
pacify · nurture · succor · support · sanctuary · refuge · warmth · tenderness · embrace · security
replace
Put something else there
take over · rotate · alternate · switch · backup · understudy · fill in · pinch-hit · deputize · sub
free
Without payment or restriction
- releaseTo let go
- dischargeRelease of substance outward
- emancipateGrant freedom to
unbind · unshackle · unchain · unfetter · loose · let go · extricate · rescue · deliver · disengage
absolve
Release from guilt
forgive · vindicate · exculpate · excuse · exempt · discharge · amnesty · clemency · remit
assistance
Support or aid given
charity · humanitarian · donation · subsidy · grant · emergency · food aid · supplies · resources · intervention
- lightenbrighten, bleach, fade, whiten, illuminate
- geografiaAmerica, Africa, Asia, Europa, Oceania
- helpingaid, assist, give a hand, help, helping hand
- calmingcalm, calm down, soothe, relax, pacify
- substitutessubstitute, subs, replacement, substitutes, stand-in
- recoveryrecovery, sobriety, rehab, recover, recovery room
relieveaggravate
Make more severe
exacerbate · worsen · intensify · pain · hurt
- sigh of reliefExhale expressing released tension
- pain reliefEasing of discomfort
- stress reliefReduction of mental tension
- comic reliefHumor easing dramatic tension
- pain relieverDrug reducing discomfort
- disaster reliefAssistance following catastrophic events
relief, relieved, relieving, reliever, relieves, unrelieved, relievers, relievable, relieve oneself