Dictionary

relieve en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ɹɪˈliːv/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of.
   • Then we relapsed into a discomfited silence, and wished we were anywhere else. But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud, and with such a hearty enjoyment that instead of getting angry and more mortified we began to laugh ourselves, and instantly felt better. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
   • I was greatly relieved by the jury's verdict.
2. (transitive) To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or discomfort.
3. (transitive) To alleviate (pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.).
4. (transitive) To provide comfort or assistance to (someone in need, especially in poverty).
5. (obsolete) To lift up; to raise again.
6. (archaic) To raise (someone) out of danger or from (a specified difficulty etc.).
7. To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations; to give legal relief to.
   • This shall not relieve either Party of any obligations.
8. (transitive) To bring military help to (a besieged town); to lift the siege on.
   • In 1574, the duke of Alva laid siege to Leiden to gain control of Holland's most beautiful and prosperous city. To relieve the siege, William of Orange and his followers opened the city's protective dikes to flush out—literally—the surrounding Spanish forces. 1994, John H. Makin, Norman J. Ornstein, Debt and Taxes: How America Got into Its Budget Mess and What We Can Do about It, New York, NY: Times Books, →ISBN, page 52:
9. To release (someone) from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
   • Carrados was carrying a small leather case which he allowed Loudham to relieve him of, together with his hat and gloves. 1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
   • They had thought it obsolete, but, were relieved of this misapprehension by Yule’s friend Major Trotter. 2014, James Lambert, “A Much Tortured Expression: A New Look at ‘Hobson-Jobson’”, in International Journal of Lexicography, volume 27, number 1, page 57:
10. To free (someone) from their post, task etc. by taking their place.
11. (archaic) To make (something) stand out; to make prominent, bring into relief.
    • The night whose sable breast relieves the stark / White stars is no less lovely being dark 1927, Countee Cullen, From the Dark Tower:
    • The henna should be deeply dyed to make / The skin relieved appear more fairly fair […] 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, III.76:
12. (euphemistic, reflexive) To urinate or defecate.
    • For example, the times and locales for defecation and urination have come under tighter regulation in the modern West to meet an increasing demand – explicitly articulated in workplace rules and regulations – that people relieve themselves not whenever or wherever they feel like it but at an appropriate time and place (Inglis & Holmes, 2000). 2017, Hannah Frith, “Ejaculatory Timing and Masculine Identities: The Politics of Ab/normalising Sexual Performance”, in Jonathon Louth, Martin Potter, editors, Edges of Identity: The Production of Neoliberal Subjectivities, Chester, England: University of Chester Press, →ISBN, page 161:
    • 1989, Snyder v. Harmon, 562 A.2d 307 (Pa. 1989) (Zappala, J., writing for the majority), Pennsylvania Supreme Court As they traveled along L.R. 33060, one of the passengers mentioned he had to relieve himself, so Barrett stopped the car along the berm of the road, which, unbeknown to the travelers, was directly adjacent to a strip mine.
13. (euphemistic, reflexive) To ease one's own desire to orgasm, often through masturbation to orgasm.
    • Nevertheless, to relieve oneself takes the edge off the desire and doesn't take advantage of others. 2014, Abbie Smith, Celibate Sex: Musings on Being Loved, Single, Twisted, and Holy:

Forms

Deriveds

relieving tackle · pain-relieving · relieve nature · relieving officer · relieving arch · relievement · relievable

Relateds

reliever · relevance · relievedly · relevant · relevancy · relief

Synonyms

pee · pooh · take the Browns to the Super Bowl · uncoil · goon · yank · beat off · feceate · shart · crank one out · wee · have a shit · poop · mastuprate · rub one off · take a leak · beat it · drite · tinkle · self-pollute · jack it · stool · stroke · self-abuse · play pocket pool · rub one out · shit · cack · urinate · drop a chalupa · move one's bowels · pinch a loaf · take a piss · defecate · dung · take a crap · choke a darkie · jork it · take a whiz · wank off · break the seal · hit the head · void · whiz · take a shit · abuse · shite · allay · drop a deuce · wee wee · wank · do one's easement · whack off · play with oneself · pass water · slash · crap · take a dump · bash one out · jerk it · skeet · drop the kids off at the pool · assuage · jerk · piss · drop anchor · pinch one off · liss · drop a bomb · masturbate · jerk one off · excrementize · shiss · knock one out · sharn · toss off · bate · touch oneself · poo · widdle · micturate · pleasure oneself · frig · fap · jerk one out · jerk the gherkin · jack off · piddle · void one's bowels · boo-boo · toss · service oneself · make the bald man cry · jerk off · ease oneself · do a number two · do one's ease

Translations (116)

fi vapauttaa (law: to give legal relief) · fi helpottaa (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · cmn 放心 (to ease from mental distress) · de ablösen (military: to free someone from their post) · nl opluchten (to ease from mental distress) · he הֵסֵךְ אֶת רַגְלָיו (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · ja 用を足す (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · cs vyprázdnit se (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · fi avustaa (to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty) · fr faire ses besoins (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · tr salmak (to release from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.) · ru спра́вить нужду́ (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · az azad eləmək (military: to free someone from their post) · fi vapauttaa (military: to free someone from their post) · la relevō (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · it esautorare (to release from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.) · fi vapauttaa (to ease from mental distress) · es relevar (law: to give legal relief) · es aleviar (to give relief from physical pain) · bg успокоявам (to ease from mental distress) · la relevō (to give relief from physical pain) · es hacer sus necesidades (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · fi helpottaa (to give relief from physical pain) · th ปลดเปลื้อง (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · it assistere (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · ga fuascail (to bring military help to a besieged town; to lift the siege on) · cmn 解手 (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · pl ulżyć (to give relief from physical pain) · pl ulżyć (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · fi keventää (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · pl ulżyć (to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty) · cmn 緩解 /缓解 (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · pl odciążyć (to give relief from physical pain) · it rilevare (to release from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.) · nb avløyse (military: to free someone from their post) · fi käydä tarpeillaan (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · it liberarsi (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · it alleviare (to give relief from physical pain) · bg помагам (to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty) · it assistere (law: to give legal relief) · bg освобождавам (to release from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.) · fr relayer (military: to free someone from their post) · pl ulżyć (to ease from mental distress) · it patrocinare (law: to give legal relief) · ru облегча́ться (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · ru отправля́ть есте́ственные на́добности (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · fi murtaa saarto (to bring military help to a besieged town; to lift the siege on) · tr yardım etmek (to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty) · fr soulager (to ease from mental distress) · it alleviare (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · bg сменям (military: to free someone from their post) · it risollevare (to lift up, raise again) · ca alleujar (to ease from mental distress) · pl odciążać (to give relief from physical pain) · fi helpottaa oloaan (euphemistically: to relieve oneself of a desire to orgasm) · nn avløyse (military: to free someone from their post) · de lindern (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · da lette (to ease from mental distress) · mi whakahirihiri (to bring military help to a besieged town; to lift the siege on) · fi lievittää (to give relief from physical pain) · de erleichtern (to ease from mental distress) · fi vapauttaa (to release from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.) · pt aliviar (to ease from mental distress) · gl aliviar (to ease from mental distress) · es revezar (military: to free someone from their post) · ru отпра́вить есте́ственные на́добности (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · it mitigare (to give relief from physical pain) · fi helpottaa (to ease from mental distress) · cmn 解溲 (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · it assistere (to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty) · pt aliviar (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · it risollevarsi (to ease from mental distress) · es aliviar (to ease from mental distress) · fi nostaa pystyyn (to lift up, raise again) · mi whakahirihiri (military: to free someone from their post) · de entlasten (to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty) · cmn 方便 (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · ota قیرمق (to give relief from physical pain) · es aliviar (to give relief from physical pain) · nl aflossen (military: to free someone from their post) · tr rahatlatmak (to ease from mental distress) · it risollevare (to ease from mental distress) · tr hafifletmek (to give relief from physical pain) · cmn 便溺 (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · es aliviarse (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · cmn 舒緩 /舒缓 (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · cs ulevit (to give relief from physical pain) · cmn 安心 (to ease from mental distress) · pt aliviar-se (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · bg правя релефен (to make stand out; to make prominent) · fi lievittää (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · es relevar (military: to free someone from their post) · es aleviar (to ease from mental distress) · bg облекчавам (to give relief from physical pain) · ca rellevar (military: to free someone from their post) · la relevō (to ease from mental distress) · th บรรเทา (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · th ปลดทุกข์ (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · de seine Notdurft verrichten (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · fr se soulager (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · sv lätta (to ease from mental distress) · fi tukea (to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty) · bg снемам обсада (to bring military help to a besieged town; to lift the siege on) · ota قیرمق (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · es relevar (to release from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.) · fi vapauttaa (to raise out of danger or from a specified difficulty etc.) · nb avløse (military: to free someone from their post) · it lenire (to give relief from physical pain) · cs ulevit (to ease from mental distress) · tr iç açmak (to ease from mental distress) · it mitigare (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · eo mildigi (to ease from mental distress) · ru справля́ть нужду́ (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · tr hafifletmek (to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.) · ru облегчи́ться (euphemistically: to urinate or defecate) · fi korostaa (to make stand out; to make prominent)