Word: relieve Part of Speech: verb 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. Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈliːv/ 1. To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of. Labels: transitive Example: I was greatly relieved by the jury's verdict. Example: 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. 2. To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or discomfort. Labels: transitive 3. To alleviate (pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.). Labels: transitive 4. To provide comfort or assistance to (someone in need, especially in poverty). Labels: transitive 5. To lift up; to raise again. Labels: obsolete 6. To raise (someone) out of danger or from (a specified difficulty etc.). Labels: archaic 7. To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations; to give legal relief to. Example: This shall not relieve either Party of any obligations. 8. To bring military help to (a besieged town); to lift the siege on. Labels: transitive Example: 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. 9. To release (someone) from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc. Example: Carrados was carrying a small leather case which he allowed Loudham to relieve him of, together with his hat and gloves. Example: They had thought it obsolete, but, were relieved of this misapprehension by Yule’s friend Major Trotter. 10. To free (someone) from their post, task etc. by taking their place. 11. To make (something) stand out; to make prominent, bring into relief. Labels: archaic Example: The henna should be deeply dyed to make / The skin relieved appear more fairly fair […] Example: The night whose sable breast relieves the stark / White stars is no less lovely being dark 12. To urinate or defecate. Labels: euphemistic, reflexive Example: 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. Example: 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). 13. To ease one's own desire to orgasm, often through masturbation to orgasm. Labels: euphemistic, reflexive Example: Nevertheless, to relieve oneself takes the edge off the desire and doesn't take advantage of others.