- to ease or alleviate (pain, distress, anxiety, need, etc.).
- to free from anxiety, fear, pain, etc.
- to free from need, poverty, etc.
- to bring effective aid to (a besieged town, military position, etc.).
- to ease (a person) of any burden, wrong, or oppression, as by legal means.
- to reduce (a pressure, load, weight, etc., on a device or object under stress): to relieve the steam pressure; to relieve the stress on the supporting walls.
- to make less tedious, unpleasant, or monotonous; break or vary the sameness of: curtains to relieve the drabness of the room.
- to bring into relief or prominence; heighten the effect of.
- to release (one on duty) by coming as or providing a substitute or replacement.
- Machinery.
- to free (a closed space, as a tank, boiler, etc.) of more than a desirable pressure or vacuum.
- to reduce (the pressure or vacuum in such a space) to a desirable level.
- to replace (a pitcher).
- to act as a relief pitcher: He relieved in 52 games for the Pirates last season.
- to urinate or defecate.
- to bring alleviation of (pain, distress, etc) to (someone)
- to bring aid or assistance to (someone in need, a disaster area, etc)
- to take over the duties or watch of (someone)
- to bring aid or a relieving force to (a besieged town, city, etc)
- to free (someone) from an obligation
- to make (something) less unpleasant, arduous, or monotonous
- to bring into relief or prominence, as by contrast
- to take from
- to urinate or defecate
