relief
Noun 1. The alleviation or removal of distress, pain, or discomfort: The feeling of comfort or ease that comes when something unpleasant, burdensome, or stressful is reduced or ends. 2. Assistance or aid provided to people in need, especially during a crisis: Help given to those suffering from poverty, disaster, or hardship. 3. A person or group that replaces another, especially to provide a rest: Someone who takes over a duty or task from another. 4. A distinctive or prominent quality, especially against a contrasting background: The state of being clearly visible or noticeable due to contrast. 5. A method of sculpture where figures are raised from a flat background: An artistic technique where shapes project from a surface. 6. (Law) Legal redress or compensation: A remedy or award granted by a court.
- As the alleviation of distress:
- The medicine provided immediate relief from her headache.
- He sighed with relief when he found his lost keys.
- As aid or assistance:
- International agencies sent relief to the flood victims.
- She has been on unemployment relief since the factory closed.
- As a replacement:
- The nurse waited for her relief to arrive at the end of her shift.
- He worked as a relief driver for the bus company.
- As prominence or contrast:
- The white church stood in sharp relief against the dark mountain.
- The report brought the economic problems into stark relief.
- As a sculptural technique:
- The wall was decorated with a beautiful marble relief.
- "on relief": Receiving government financial assistance due to poverty or unemployment.
- Many families were on relief during the Great Depression.
- "relief pitcher" (Sports): In baseball, a pitcher who replaces the starting pitcher during a game.
- The manager called for a relief pitcher from the bullpen.
- Relieve (verb): To alleviate pain, distress, or a burden; to take over a duty from someone.
- This pill will relieve your symptoms. / The guard will be relieved at midnight.
- Relieved (adjective): Feeling happy because something unpleasant has stopped or not happened.
- I was so relieved to hear you were safe.
- Relief map (noun): A map that shows the topography (hills, valleys) of an area, often using colors or shading to indicate elevation.
- For alleviation: Alleviation, ease, comfort, respite.
- For aid: Aid, assistance, help, support, succor.
- For replacement: Substitute, replacement, stand-in, fill-in.
- "breathe a sigh of relief": To feel a strong sense of relaxation and comfort after a period of worry or stress.
- We all breathed a sigh of relief when the storm passed.
- "comic relief": A humorous scene or character in a serious story, intended to provide a temporary break from tension.
- The porter in Macbeth serves as a moment of comic relief.
- "in bold/high/sharp relief": Very clearly or prominently, often due to strong contrast.
- The crisis put the government's weaknesses in sharp relief.
- the act of freeing a city or town that has been besieged
- he asked for troops for the relief of Atlanta
- sculpture consisting of shapes carved on a surface so as to stand out from the surrounding background
- the act of reducing something unpleasant (as pain or annoyance)
- he asked the nurse for relief from the constant pain
- aid for the aged or indigent or handicapped
- he has been on relief for many years
- a change for the better
- a pause for relaxation
- people actually accomplish more when they take time for short rests
- assistance in time of difficulty
- the contributions provided some relief for the victims
- someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult)
- the star had a stand-in for dangerous scenes
- we need extra employees for summer fill-ins
- (law) redress awarded by a court
- was the relief supposed to be protection from future harm or compensation for past injury?
- the condition of being comfortable or relieved (especially after being relieved of distress)
- he enjoyed his relief from responsibility
- getting it off his conscience gave him some ease
- the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
- as he heard the news he was suddenly flooded with relief