verb · 24 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ɹɪˈliːv/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːv
CMU ARPABET:R IH0 L IY1 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:R IY0 L IY1 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
I was greatly relieved by the jury's verdict.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or discomfort.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: liss
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To alleviate (pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To provide comfort or assistance to (someone in need, especially in poverty).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To lift up; to raise again.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To raise (someone) out of danger or from (a specified difficulty etc.).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations; to give legal relief to.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
Examples
This shall not relieve either Party of any obligations.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
To bring military help to (a besieged town); to lift the siege on.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
verb
Meaning 9
To release (someone) from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
verb
Meaning 10
To free (someone) from their post, task etc. by taking their place.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
verb
Meaning 11
To make (something) stand out; to make prominent, bring into relief.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
verb
Meaning 12
To urinate or defecate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: euphemistic, reflexive
Examples
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.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: boo-boo, cack, choke a darkie, crap, defecate, do one's ease, ease oneself, do a number two, do one's easement, drite, drop a bomb, drop a chalupa, drop a deuce, drop anchor, drop the kids off at the pool, dung, excrementize, feceate, have a shit, move one's bowels, pinch a loaf, pinch one off, poo, pooh, poop, sharn, shart, shiss, shit, shite, stool, take a dump, take a shit, take a crap, take the Browns to the Super Bowl, uncoil, void one's bowels, break the seal, hit the head, micturate, pass water, pee, piddle, piss, slash, take a leak, take a piss, take a whiz, tinkle, urinate, void, wee, wee wee, widdle, whiz
Antonyms: none provided
13
verb
Meaning 13
To ease one's own desire to orgasm, often through masturbation to orgasm.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: euphemistic, reflexive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: abuse, bash one out, bate, beat it, beat off, crank one out, fap, frig, goon, jack off, jack it, jerk, jerk it, jerk the gherkin, jerk off, jerk one off, jerk one out, jork it, knock one out, make the bald man cry, masturbate, mastuprate, play pocket pool, play with oneself, pleasure oneself, rub one off, rub one out, self-abuse, self-pollute, service oneself, skeet, stroke, toss, toss off, touch oneself, wank, wank off, whack off, yank
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.
Across languages
Translations
115 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
успокоявам
(uspokojavam)
— to ease from mental distress
Catalan:
alleujar
— to ease from mental distress
Chinese Mandarin:
安心
(ānxīn)
— to ease from mental distress
Chinese Mandarin:
放心
(fàngxīn)
— to ease from mental distress
Czech:
ulevit
— to ease from mental distress
Danish:
lette
— to ease from mental distress
Dutch:
opluchten
— to ease from mental distress
Esperanto:
mildigi
— to ease from mental distress
Finnish:
vapauttaa
— to ease from mental distress
Finnish:
helpottaa
— to ease from mental distress
French:
soulager
— to ease from mental distress
Galician:
aliviar
— to ease from mental distress
German:
erleichtern
— to ease from mental distress
Italian:
risollevare
— to ease from mental distress
Italian:
risollevarsi
— to ease from mental distress
Latin:
relevō
— to ease from mental distress
Polish:
ulżyć
— to ease from mental distress
Portuguese:
aliviar
— to ease from mental distress
Spanish:
aliviar
— to ease from mental distress
Spanish:
aleviar
— to ease from mental distress
Swedish:
lätta
— to ease from mental distress
Turkish:
iç açmak
— to ease from mental distress
Turkish:
rahatlatmak
— to ease from mental distress
Bulgarian:
облекчавам
(oblekčavam)
— to give relief from physical pain
Czech:
ulevit
— to give relief from physical pain
Finnish:
helpottaa
— to give relief from physical pain
Finnish:
lievittää
— to give relief from physical pain
Italian:
lenire
— to give relief from physical pain
Italian:
alleviare
— to give relief from physical pain
Italian:
mitigare
— to give relief from physical pain
Latin:
relevō
— to give relief from physical pain
Polish:
odciążać
— to give relief from physical pain
Polish:
odciążyć
— to give relief from physical pain
Polish:
ulżyć
— to give relief from physical pain
Spanish:
aliviar
— to give relief from physical pain
Spanish:
aleviar
— to give relief from physical pain
Turkish:
hafifletmek
— to give relief from physical pain
Ottoman Turkish:
قیرمق
(kırmak)
— to give relief from physical pain
Chinese Mandarin:
舒緩 /舒缓
(shūhuǎn)
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Chinese Mandarin:
緩解 /缓解
(huǎnjiě)
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Finnish:
helpottaa
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Finnish:
lievittää
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
German:
lindern
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Italian:
mitigare
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Italian:
alleviare
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Italian:
assistere
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Latin:
relevō
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Polish:
ulżyć
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Portuguese:
aliviar
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Thai:
ปลดเปลื้อง
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Thai:
บรรเทา
(ban-tao)
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Turkish:
hafifletmek
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Ottoman Turkish:
قیرمق
(kırmak)
— to alleviate pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.
Bulgarian:
помагам
(pomagam)
— to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty
Finnish:
tukea
— to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty
Finnish:
avustaa
— to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty
German:
entlasten
— to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty
Italian:
assistere
— to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty
Polish:
ulżyć
— to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty
Turkish:
yardım etmek
— to provide comfort or assistance to someone in need, especially in poverty
Finnish:
nostaa pystyyn
— to lift up, raise again
Italian:
risollevare
— to lift up, raise again
Finnish:
vapauttaa
— to raise out of danger or from a specified difficulty etc.
Finnish:
vapauttaa
— law: to give legal relief
Italian:
assistere
— law: to give legal relief
Italian:
patrocinare
— law: to give legal relief
Spanish:
relevar
— law: to give legal relief
Bulgarian:
снемам обсада
(snemam obsada)
— to bring military help to a besieged town; to lift the siege on
Finnish:
murtaa saarto
— to bring military help to a besieged town; to lift the siege on
Irish:
fuascail
— to bring military help to a besieged town; to lift the siege on
Māori:
whakahirihiri
— to bring military help to a besieged town; to lift the siege on
Bulgarian:
освобождавам
(osvoboždavam)
— to release from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
Finnish:
vapauttaa
— to release from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
Italian:
rilevare
— to release from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
Italian:
esautorare
— to release from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
Spanish:
relevar
— to release from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
Turkish:
salmak
— to release from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
Bulgarian:
сменям
(smenjam)
— military: to free someone from their post
Catalan:
rellevar
— military: to free someone from their post
Dutch:
aflossen
— military: to free someone from their post
Finnish:
vapauttaa
— military: to free someone from their post
French:
relayer
— military: to free someone from their post
German:
ablösen
— military: to free someone from their post
Māori:
whakahirihiri
— military: to free someone from their post
Norwegian Bokmål:
avløse
— military: to free someone from their post
Norwegian Bokmål:
avløyse
— military: to free someone from their post
Norwegian Nynorsk:
avløyse
— military: to free someone from their post
Spanish:
relevar
— military: to free someone from their post
Spanish:
revezar
— military: to free someone from their post
Bulgarian:
правя релефен
(pravja relefen)
— to make stand out; to make prominent
Finnish:
korostaa
— to make stand out; to make prominent
Chinese Mandarin:
解手
(jiě shǒu)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Chinese Mandarin:
解溲
(jiě sōu)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Chinese Mandarin:
便溺
(biàn niào)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Chinese Mandarin:
方便
(fāng biàn)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Czech:
vyprázdnit se
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Finnish:
käydä tarpeillaan
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Finnish:
keventää
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
French:
faire ses besoins
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
French:
se soulager
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
German:
seine Notdurft verrichten
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Hebrew:
הֵסֵךְ אֶת רַגְלָיו
(heséch et ragláv)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Italian:
liberarsi
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Japanese:
用を足す
(yō o tasu)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Portuguese:
aliviar-se
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Russian:
отправля́ть есте́ственные на́добности
(otpravljátʹ jestéstvennyje nádobnosti)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Russian:
отпра́вить есте́ственные на́добности
(otprávitʹ jestéstvennyje nádobnosti)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Russian:
справля́ть нужду́
(spravljátʹ nuždú)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Russian:
спра́вить нужду́
(správitʹ nuždú)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Russian:
облегча́ться
(oblexčátʹsja)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Russian:
облегчи́ться
(oblexčítʹsja)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Spanish:
aliviarse
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Spanish:
hacer sus necesidades
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Thai:
ปลดทุกข์
(bplòt-túk)
— euphemistically: to urinate or defecate
Finnish:
helpottaa oloaan
— euphemistically: to relieve oneself of a desire to orgasm
