To save this how to relieve bloating fast, you’ll need to log in. How is the word relieve different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of relieve are allay, alleviate, assuage, lighten, and mitigate. While all these words mean “to make something less grievous,” relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable. When is it sensible to use allay instead of relieve? The words allay and relieve can be used in similar contexts, but allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms. When would alleviate be a good substitute for relieve?

Although the words alleviate and relieve have much in common, alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress. When could assuage be used to replace relieve? The synonyms assuage and relieve are sometimes interchangeable, but assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable. When might lighten be a better fit than relieve? The words lighten and relieve are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight. When is mitigate a more appropriate choice than relieve?

While in some cases nearly identical to relieve, mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful. Subscribe to America’s largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Get Word of the Day daily email! I went to the ______ store to buy a birthday card. Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! Solve today’s spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters.