relieve /ri-lēvˈ/

1. To bring, give or afford relief to
2. To release
3. To release from duty by taking the place of
4. To ease (eg a burden)
5. (reflexive) to urinate or to defecate
6. To mitigate
7. To raise the siege of
8. To set off by contrast
9. To break the sameness of
10. To lift up (Shakespeare)
11. To bring into relief
12. To feed (obsolete)

relievˈable adjective

relievedˈ adjective

Freed from anxiety or concern

relievˈer noun

relievˈing adjective

relieving arch noun

An arch in a wall to relieve the part below it from a superincumbent weight

relieving officer noun (historical)

An official formerly appointed to superintend the relief of the poor

relieve someone of

1. To take from someone's possession, with or without that person's approval
2. To steal from someone
3. To free someone from (a necessity, restriction, etc)

• lighting-up
• lighting-ups
• lighting-up time
• lighting-up times
• light into
• lightish
• light-legged
• lightless
• lightlied
• lightlies
• light literature
• lightly
• lightlying
• light meter
• light meters
• light middleweight
• light-mill
• light-mills
• light-minded
• light-mindedness
• light music
• lightness
• lightnesses
• lightning
• lightning-arrester