relieve
gb/ɹɪlˈiv/ us/ɹɪlˈiv/
B1
English
~ 1500
enyhít, levált, felment
VERB
B1
1
enyhít
B2
Usage pattern:
to relieve [pain/stress/tension]
The medicine helped relieve her back pain.
A gyógyszer segített enyhíteni a hátfájását.
A short walk can relieve stress after work.
Egy rövid séta munka után enyhítheti a stresszt.
He took deep breaths to relieve his anxiety.
Ice packs can relieve swelling after an injury.
Learner examples
This tea will relieve your headache.
Ez a tea enyhíteni fogja a fejfájásodat.
A hot bath can relieve tired muscles.
Egy forró fürdő ellazíthatja a fáradt izmokat.
She listens to music to relieve stress.
The doctor gave me pills to relieve the pain.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'relieve' with 'release'; 'release' means to let go physically or metaphorically, while 'relieve' means to reduce discomfort.
Meaning
Make pain or stress less
Collocations
relieve pain
|relieve stress
|relieve tension
|relieve pressure
Synonyms
ease (Softer tone, often used for gradual reduction of pain or discomfort.)
|
alleviate (More formal, common in medical or academic contexts.)
Antonyms
aggravate (Means to make a problem, pain, or feeling worse.)
Themes
health
|emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make pain, worry, or discomfort go away or become less.
To make pain, stress, or discomfort less severe or to remove it completely.
VERB
B2
2
levált
B1
Usage pattern:
to relieve [someone] [of/from] duty
The night shift will relieve the day crew at 6 p.m.
Az éjszakai műszak 18 órakor leváltja a nappali csapatot.
A new officer was sent to relieve the guard at the gate.
Egy új tisztet küldtek, hogy leváltsa a kapunál álló őrt.
She relieved her colleague so he could take a lunch break.
Learner examples
I will relieve you at 5 o'clock.
Öt órakor leváltalak.
The new worker relieved the tired man.
Az új dolgozó leváltotta a fáradt férfit.
He relieved the guard at midnight.
She relieved her friend so he could eat lunch.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'relieve' with 'release' here; 'release' means to let go, while 'relieve' means to take over responsibility.
Meaning
Take someone's place in duty
Collocations
relieve a guard
|relieve a worker
|relieve someone of duty
Synonyms
replace (General term for taking someone's position, without implying rest.)
|
substitute for (Focuses on acting in place of someone temporarily.)
Antonyms
assign (Means to give someone a task rather than take it away.)
Themes
work
|military
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To do someone's job so that they can stop for a time.
To take over a job or responsibility from someone so they can rest or leave.
VERB
B2
3
felment
B2
Usage pattern:
to relieve [someone] of [a position/duty]
The captain was relieved of his command after the incident.
Az eset után a kapitányt felmentették a parancsnoki beosztásából.
They decided to relieve her of her duties immediately.
Úgy döntöttek, hogy azonnal felmentik a feladatai alól.
He was relieved of his post following the investigation.
Learner examples
The boss relieved him of his job.
A főnök felmentette a munkaköréből.
They relieved her of her duties.
Felmentették a feladatai alól.
The general was relieved of command.
He was relieved of his post.
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand this as giving relief or comfort; here it means removal from a role.
Meaning
Remove from position or duty
Collocations
relieve someone of command
|relieve someone of their post
Synonyms
dismiss (Common in workplace contexts; more formal and final.)
|
fire (Informal and direct; often used in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
appoint (Means to give someone a position rather than remove them.)
Themes
work
|law
|business
Definition
To take someone out of their job, often because they did something wrong.
To formally remove someone from their job or responsibilities, often due to performance or misconduct.
VERB
B2
4
enyhít
B2
Usage pattern:
to relieve [a problem/situation]
New roads were built to relieve traffic congestion.
Új utakat építettek, hogy enyhítsék a forgalmi torlódásokat.
The charity aims to relieve poverty in the region.
A jótékonysági szervezet célja, hogy enyhítse a szegénységet a térségben.
Better planning could relieve pressure on the hospital system.
Learner examples
We planted trees to relieve air pollution.
Fákat ültettünk, hogy enyhítsük a légszennyezést.
Extra buses will relieve traffic in the city.
A plusz buszok enyhíteni fogják a városi forgalmi torlódásokat.
They want to relieve hunger in poor areas.
Meaning
Make a bad situation less severe
Collocations
relieve congestion
|relieve pressure on resources
Synonyms
mitigate (More formal; often used in business or policy contexts.)
|
ease (Less formal; focuses on making something easier.)
Antonyms
worsen (Means to make something more serious or severe.)
Themes
problems
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make a bad problem smaller or easier to deal with.
To make a difficult or unpleasant situation less serious or intense.
Grammar
Dictionary form
relieve
IPA
GB/ɹɪlˈiv/
US/ɹɪlˈiv/
Syllables & stress
re - lieve (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (lieve)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: relieve
- 3rd Person Singular: relieves
- Present Participle: relieving
- Past: relieved
Word family
Forms
relieves
verb
relieving
verb
relieved
verb
Core family
relief
noun A2
Related words
reliever
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unrelieved
adjective
Expressions
relieve oneself
1/ɹɪlˈiv wˌʌnsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
Urinating or defecating
A polite way to say go to the toilet.
Examples
- He stepped behind the bushes to relieve himself.
- Please excuse me, I need to relieve myself.
relieve pressure
1/ɹɪlˈiv pɹˈɛʃɚ/
fixed phrase
Reduce pressure or strain
To make less pressure or stress on something or someone.
Examples
- Opening the valve will relieve pressure in the tank.
- Taking breaks can relieve pressure at work.
relieve tension
1/ɹɪlˈiv tˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
Make tension less severe
To make stress or tight muscles feel better.
Examples
- A massage can help relieve tension in your shoulders.
- Jokes helped relieve tension in the meeting room.
relieve the boredom
1/ɹɪlˈiv ðə bˈɔɹdəm/
fixed phrase
Make boredom go away
To do something so you are not bored anymore.
Examples
- The game helped relieve the boredom during the long trip.
- She read a book to relieve the boredom of waiting.