Relieve \Re*lieve"\ (r?-l?v"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Relieved (-l?vd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Relieving.]

[OE. releven, F. relever to raise again, discharge, relieve, fr. L. relevare to lift up, raise, make light, relieve; pref. re- re- + levare to raise, fr. levis light. See Levity, and cf. Relevant, Relief.]

1. To lift up; to raise again, as one who has fallen; to cause to rise. [Obs.]

--Piers Plowman.

2. To cause to seem to rise; to put in relief; to give prominence or conspicuousness to; to set off by contrast.

Her tall figure relieved against the blue sky; seemed almost of supernatural height. --Sir W. Scott.

3. To raise up something in; to introduce a contrast or variety into; to remove the monotony or sameness of.

The poet must . . . sometimes relieve the subject with a moral reflection. --Addison.

4. To raise or remove, as anything which depresses, weighs down, or crushes; to render less burdensome or afflicting; to allevate; to-abate; to mitigate; to lessen; as, to relieve pain; to relieve the wants of the poor.

5. To free, wholly or partly, from any burden, trial, evil, distress, or the like; to give ease, comfort, or consolation to; to give aid, help, or succor to; to support, strengthen, or deliver; as, to relieve a besieged town.

Now lend assistance and relieve the poor. --Dryden.

6. To release from a post, station, or duty; to put another in place of, or to take the place of, in the bearing of any burden, or discharge of any duty.

Who hath relieved you? --Shak.

7. To ease of any imposition, burden, wrong, or oppression, by judicial or legislative interposition, as by the removal of a grievance, by indemnification for losses, or the like; to right.

Syn: To alleviate; assuage; succor; assist; aid; help; support; substain; ease; mitigate; lighten; diminish; remove; free; remedy; redress; indemnify.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)