Relief vs. Relieve — What's the Difference?

Relief is a sculptural technique where the sculpted elements remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term relief is from the Latin verb relevo, to raise.

To cause a lessening or alleviation of

The easing of a pain, distress, or anxiety

To make less tedious, monotonous, or unpleasant

Something that alleviates pain, distress, or anxiety

To free from pain, anxiety, or distress

Aid in time of danger

To furnish assistance or aid to

Rescue from a siege

To rescue from siege.

Public assistance

To release (a person) from an obligation, restriction, or burden.

Release from a post or duty, such as that of sentinel.

To free from a specified duty by providing or acting as a substitute.

One who takes over a post or duty for another.

(Baseball) To enter the game as a relief pitcher after (another pitcher).

Something that makes a pleasant or amusing change from something tedious or unpleasant

(Informal) To rob or deprive

The projection of figures or forms from a flat background, as in sculpture, or the apparent projection of such shapes in a painting or drawing.

(Archaic) To make prominent or effective by contrast; set off.

A work of art featuring such projection. Also called relievo.

(transitive) To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of.

(Geology) The variations in elevation of an area of the earth's surface.

(transitive) To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or discomfort.

Distinction or prominence due to contrast

(transitive) To alleviate (pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.).

(Law) The objective sought by a lawsuit or legal action, such as an award of monetary damages or an order requiring the other party to take a particular action.

(transitive) To provide comfort or assistance to (someone in need, especially in poverty).

(Baseball) The pitching done by a relief pitcher

(obsolete) To lift up; to raise again.

A payment made by the heir of a deceased tenant to a feudal lord for the privilege of succeeding to the tenant's estate.

To raise (someone) out of danger or from (a specified difficulty etc.).

The removal of stress or discomfort.

(legal) To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations; to give legal relief to.

The feeling associated with the removal of stress or discomfort.

(transitive) To bring military help to (a besieged town); to lift the siege on.

Release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another.

To release (someone) from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.

The person who takes over a shift for another.

To free (someone) from their post, task etc. by taking their place.

Aid or assistance offered in time of need.

To make (something) stand out; to make prominent, bring into relief.

(legal) Court-ordered compensation, aid, or protection, a redress.

To urinate or defecate.

A lowering of a tax through special provisions; tax relief.

To ease one's own desire to orgasm, often through masturbation to orgasm.

A certain fine or composition paid by the heir of a tenant upon the death of the ancestor.

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

A type of sculpture or other artwork in which shapes or figures protrude from a flat background.

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

The apparent difference in elevation in the surface of a painting or drawing made noticeable by a variation in light or color.

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

The difference of elevations on a surface.

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

(heraldry) The supposed projection of a charge from the surface of a field, indicated by shading on the sinister and lower sides.

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.

(of a surface) Characterized by surface inequalities.

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.

Of or used in letterpress.

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.

The act of relieving, or the state of being relieved; the removal, or partial removal, of any evil, or of anything oppressive or burdensome, by which some ease is obtained; succor; alleviation; comfort; ease; redress.

Provide physical relief, as from pain;

Release from a post, or from the performance of duty, by the intervention of others, by discharge, or by relay; as, a relief of a sentry.

Free someone temporarily from his or her obligations

That which removes or lessens evil, pain, discomfort, uneasiness, etc.; that which gives succor, aid, or comfort; also, the person who relieves from performance of duty by taking the place of another; a relay.

Grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to;

A fine or composition which the heir of a deceased tenant paid to the lord for the privilege of taking up the estate, which, on strict feudal principles, had lapsed or fallen to the lord on the death of the tenant.

Lessen the intensity of or calm;

The projection of a figure above the ground or plane on which it is formed.

Save from ruin, destruction, or harm

The appearance of projection given by shading, shadow, etc., to any figure.

Relieve oneself of troubling information

The height to which works are raised above the bottom of the ditch.

Alleviate or remove;

The elevations and surface undulations of a country.

Provide relief for;

The feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced;

Free from a burden, evil, or distress

The condition of being comfortable or relieved (especially after being relieved of distress);

Take by stealing;

(law) redress awarded by a court;

Grant exemption or release to;

Someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult);

Assistance in time of difficulty;

A pause for relaxation;

A change for the better

Aid for the aged or indigent or handicapped;

The act of reducing something unpleasant (as pain or annoyance);

Sculpture consisting of shapes carved on a surface so as to stand out from the surrounding background

The act of freeing a city or town that has been besieged;