source: • gintama sakata gintoki kagura shimura shinpachi Yagyuu Kyuubei shimura tae Hasegawa Taizou ryugu arc notthepajamas •

verb with object

1. cause (pain, distress, or difficulty) to become less severe or serious:

〈苦痛･心配･問題など〉を取り除く, 和らげる

e.g. the drug was used to promote sleep and to relieve pain.

cause (someone) to stop feeling distressed or anxious about something:

(苦痛･心配などを取り除いて)〈人〉を安心させる, ほっとさせる (!be ～dのような分詞形容詞用法については→ relieved)

e.g. he was relieved by her change of tone.

2. release (someone) from duty by taking their place:

｟かたく｠ ; 〖be ～d of A〗 〈人が〉A〈職務･地位など〉を解任される, 解かれる(｟よりくだけて｠ fire)

e.g. another signalman relieved him at 5:30.

bring military support for (a besieged place):

(敵から)〈町など〉を解放する; 〈場所〉から敵を追い払う

e.g. he dispatched an expedition to relieve the city.

Baseball (of a relief pitcher) take the place of (another pitcher) during a game.

〘野球〙 〈投手〉をリリーフする

3. (relieve someone of) take (a burden) from someone:

｟かたく｠ ; 〖～ A of B〗 A〈人〉からB〈荷物など〉を取り除く

e.g. he relieved her of her baggage.

free someone from (a tiresome responsibility):

A〈人〉をB〈やっかいな事など〉から解放する, 楽にさせる

e.g. she relieved me of the household chores.

used euphemistically to indicate that someone has been deprived of something:

｟おどけて｠ ; 〖～ A of B〗 A〈人〉からB〈金品〉を盗む.

e.g. he was relieved of his world title.

4. make less tedious or monotonous by the introduction of variety or of something striking or pleasing:

〈退屈など〉を紛らわす

e.g. the bird's body is black, relieved only by white under the tail.

5. (relieve oneself) urinate or defecate (used euphemistically):

｟やや古｠ 小便をする; 排便する

e.g. train your dog to relieve itself where you want it to.

6. archaic make (something) stand out:

〈物〉を目立たせる, 際立たせる, 引き立たせる.

e.g. the twilight relieving in purple masses the foliage of the island.

relievable |rəˈlēvəb(ə)l| adjective

Middle English: from Old French relever, from Latin relevare, from re- (expressing intensive force) + levare ‘raise’ (from levis ‘light’).