relief
//rɪˈliːf//
Forms
- Plural
- reliefs
- Comparative
- more relief
- Superlative
- most relief
Definitions
1.The removal of stress or discomfort.
- I sighed with relief when I found out that my daughter hadn't got lost, but was waiting for me at home.
- Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness,[…]. It was with a palpable relief that he heard the first warning notes of the figure.
2.The feeling associated with the removal of stress or discomfort.
- DfT's action was greeted with great relief in many quarters.
- Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse, but it may have been a momentary one,[…].”
3.Release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another.
4.The person who takes over a shift for another.
- Officer Schmidt can finally go home because his relief has arrived.
- At Leeds a relief crew was waiting, but without a relief locomotive; after some discussion, the new men offered to take on the A3. [..].
1.Characterized by surface inequalities.
2.Of or used in letterpress.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #2210
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
From Old French relief (“assistance”), from Old French relever (“to relieve”), from Latin relevare (“to raise up, make light”).
See also relieve.