1. relief(n = noun.feeling) alleviation, assuagement - the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced; "as he heard the news he was suddenly flooded with relief"
is a kind of comfort
2. relief(n = noun.state) ease - 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"
is a kind of comfort, comfortableness
has particulars: reprieve, respite
3. relief(n = noun.possession) - (law) redress awarded by a court; "was the relief supposed to be protection from future harm or compensation for past injury?"
is a kind of amends, damages, indemnification, indemnity, redress, restitution
4. relief(n = noun.person) backup, backup man, fill-in, reliever, stand-in, substitute - 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"
is a kind of compeer, equal, match, peer
has particulars: locum, locum tenens, double, stunt man, stunt woman, alternate, replacement, surrogate
5. relief(n = noun.act) ministration, succor, succour - assistance in time of difficulty; "the contributions provided some relief for the victims"
is a kind of aid, assist, assistance, help
has particulars: comfort, consolation, solace, mercy
6. relief(n = noun.time) respite, rest, rest period - a pause for relaxation; "people actually accomplish more when they take time for short rests"
is a kind of break, intermission, interruption, pause, suspension
has particulars: breath, breather, breathing place, breathing space, breathing spell, breathing time
7. relief(n = noun.event) easing, moderation - a change for the better;
is a kind of alteration, change, modification
has particulars: disembarrassment, breath of fresh air
8. relief(n = noun.act) - aid for the aged or indigent or handicapped; "he has been on relief for many years"
is a kind of public assistance, social welfare, welfare
9. relief(n = noun.act) alleviation, easement, easing - the act of reducing something unpleasant (as pain or annoyance); "he asked the nurse for relief from the constant pain"
is a kind of decrease, diminution, reduction, step-down
has particulars: spasmolysis, detente, palliation, liberalisation, liberalization, relaxation, decompressing, decompression
10. relief(n = noun.artifact) embossment, relievo, rilievo, sculptural relief - sculpture consisting of shapes carved on a surface so as to stand out from the surrounding background;
is a kind of sculpture
has particulars: alto relievo, alto rilievo, high relief, bas relief, basso relievo, basso rilievo, low relief, half-relief, mezzo-relievo, mezzo-rilievo
11. relief(n = noun.act) - the act of freeing a city or town that has been besieged; "he asked for troops for the relief of Atlanta"
is a kind of freeing, liberation, release
1. 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. [1913 Webster]
"He sees the dire contagion spread so fast,
That, where it seizes, all relief is vain." [1913 Webster]
2. 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. [1913 Webster]
"For this relief much thanks; 'tis bitter cold." [1913 Webster]
3. 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. [1913 Webster]
4. 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. [1913 Webster]
5. The projection of a figure above the ground or plane on which it is formed. [1913 Webster]
" Relief is of three kinds, namely,
6. The appearance of projection given by shading, shadow, etc., to any figure. [1913 Webster]
7. The height to which works are raised above the bottom of the ditch. Wilhelm. [1913 Webster]
8. The elevations and surface undulations of a country. Guyot. [1913 Webster]
relief, n.
1 a the alleviation of or deliverance from pain, distress, anxiety, etc. b the feeling accompanying such deliverance.
2 a feature etc. that diversifies monotony or relaxes tension.
3 assistance (esp. financial) given to those in special need or difficulty (rent relief).
4 a the replacing of a person or persons on duty by another or others. b a person or persons replacing others in this way.
5 (usu. attrib.) a thing supplementing another in some service, esp. an extra vehicle providing public transport at peak times.
6 a a method of moulding or carving or stamping in which the design stands out from the surface, with projections proportioned and more (high relief) or less (low relief) closely approximating to those of the objects depicted (cf. ROUND n. 9). b a piece of sculpture etc. in relief. c a representation of relief given by an arrangement of line or colour or shading.
7 vividness, distinctness (brings the facts out in sharp relief).
8 (foll. by of) the reinforcement (esp. the raising of a siege) of a place.
9 esp. Law the redress of a hardship or grievance.
Idiom:
relief map
1 a map indicating hills and valleys by shading etc. rather than by contour lines alone.
2 a map-model showing elevations and depressions, usu. on an exaggerated relative scale. relief printing = LETTERPRESS 2. relief road a road taking traffic around a congested (esp. urban) area.
Etymology:
ME f AF relef, OF relief (in sense 6 F relief f. It. rilievo) f. relever: see RELIEVE
N restoration, restoral, reinstatement, replacement, rehabilitation, reestablishment, reconstitution, reconstruction, reproduction, renovation, renewal, revival, revivessence, reviviscence, refreshment, resuscitation, reanimation, revivification, reviction, Phenix, reorganization, renaissance, second youth, rejuvenescence, new birth, regeneration, regeneracy, regenerateness, palingenesis, reconversion, redress, retrieval, reclamation, recovery, convalescence, resumption, resumption, sanativeness, recurrence, rechauffe, rifacimento, cure, recure, sanation, healing, redintegration, rectification, instauration, repair, reparation, remanufacture, recruiting, cicatrization, disinfection, tinkering, reaction, redemption, restitution, relief, tinker, cobbler, vis medicatrix, curableness, restored, redivivus, convalescent, in a fair way, none the worse, rejuvenated, restoring, restorative, recuperative, sanative, reparative, sanatory, reparatory, curative, remedial, restorable, recoverable, sanable, remediable, retrievable, curable, in statu quo, as you were, phr, revenons a nos moutons, medecin, gueris-toi toi- meme, vestigia nulla retrorsum.
N refreshment, bracing, recovery of strength, recuperation, restoration, revival, repair, refection, refocillation, refreshment, regalement, bait, relief, break, spell, refreshment stand, refreshments, ice cream, cold soda, soda pop, hot dogs (food), refreshing, recuperative, refreshed, untired, unwearied.
N aid, aidance, assistance, help, opitulation, succor, support, lift, advance, furtherance, promotion, coadjuvancy, patronage, championship, countenance, favor, interest, advocacy, sustentation, subvention, alimentation, nutrition, nourishment, eutrophy, manna in the wilderness, food, means, ministry, ministration, subministration, accommodation, relief, rescue, help at a dead lift, supernatural aid, deus ex machina, supplies, reinforcements, reenforcements, succors, contingents, recruits, support, adjunct, ally, aiding, auxiliary, adjuvant, helpful, coadjuvant, subservient, ministrant, ancillary, accessory, subsidiary, at one's beck, at one's beck and call, friendly, amicable, favorable, propitious, well-disposed, neighborly, obliging, with the aid, by the aid of, on behalf of, in behalf of, in aid of, in the service of, in the name of, in favor of, in furtherance of, on account of, for the sake of, on the part of, non obstante, Int, help!, save us!, to the rescue!, alterum alterius auxilio eget, God befriend us as our cause is just, at your service.
N relief, deliverance, refreshment, easement, softening, alleviation, mitigation, palliation, soothing, lullaby, solace, consolation, comfort, encouragement, lenitive, restorative, cushion, crumb of comfort, balm in Gilead, relieving, consolatory, soothing, assuaging, assuasive, balmy, balsamic, lenitive, palliative, anodyne, curative, here comes a man of comfort.
N convexity, prominence, projection, swelling, gibbosity, bilge, bulge, protuberance, protrusion, camber, cahot, thank-ye-ma'am, swell, intumescence, tumour, tumor, tubercle, tuberosity, excrescence, hump, hunch, bunch, boss, embossment, hub, hubble, tooth, knob, elbow, process, apophysis, condyle, bulb, node, nodule, nodosity, tongue, dorsum, bump, clump, sugar loaf, bow, mamelon, molar, belly, corporation, pot belly, gut, withers, back, shoulder, lip, flange, pimple, zit, wen, wheel, papula, pustule, pock, proud flesh, growth, sarcoma, caruncle, corn, wart, pappiloma, furuncle, polypus, fungus, fungosity, exostosis, bleb, blister, blain, boil, airbubble, blob, papule, verruca, papilla, nipple, teat, tit, titty, boob, knocker, pap, breast, dug, mammilla, proboscis, nose, neb, beak, snout, nozzle, schnoz, peg, button, stud, ridge, rib, jutty, trunnion, snag, cupola, dome, arch, balcony, eaves, pilaster, relief, relievo, cameo, bassorilievo, mezzorilevo, altorivievo, low relief, bas relief, high relief, hill, cape, promontory, mull, forehead, foreland, point of land, mole, jetty, hummock, ledge, spur, naze, ness, convex, prominent, protuberant, projecting, bossed, embossed, bossy, nodular, bunchy, clavate, clavated, claviform, hummocky, moutonne, mammiliform, papulous, papilose, hemispheric, bulbous, bowed, arched, bold, bellied, tuberous, tuberculous, tumous, cornute, odontoid, lentiform, lenticular, gibbous, club shaped, hubby, hubbly, knobby, papillose, saddle-shaped, selliform, subclavate, torose, ventricose, verrucose, salient, in relief, raised, repousse, bloated, (expanded).
N sculpture, insculpture, carving, statuary, high relief, low relief, bas relief, relief, relieve, bassorilievo, altorilievo, mezzorilievo, intaglio, anaglyph, medal, medallion, cameo, marble, bronze, terra cotta, papier-mache, ceramic ware, pottery, porcelain, china, earthenware, cloisonne, enamel, faience, Laocoon, satsuma, statue, cast, glyptotheca, sculptured, v, in relief, anaglyptic, ceroplastic, ceramic, parian, marble, xanthian.
bas relief, high relief, low relief, relief map, relief pitcher, relief printing, relief valve, sculptural relief