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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Relieve \Re*lieve"\ (r?-l?v"), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Relieved} (-l?vd"); p. pr. & vb. n. {Relieving}.] [OE. releven, F. relever to raise again, discharge, relieve, fr. L. relevare to lift up, raise, make light, relieve; pref. re- re- + levare to raise, fr. levis light. See {Levity}, and cf. {Relevant}, {Relief}.]
1. To lift up; to raise again, as one who has fallen; to cause to rise. [Obs.] --Piers Plowman.
2. To cause to seem to rise; to put in relief; to give prominence or conspicuousness to; to set off by contrast.
Her tall figure relieved against the blue sky; seemed almost of supernatural height. --Sir W. Scott.
3. To raise up something in; to introduce a contrast or variety into; to remove the monotony or sameness of.
The poet must . . . sometimes relieve the subject with a moral reflection. --Addison.
4. 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.
5. 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.
Now lend assistance and relieve the poor. --Dryden.
6. 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.
Who hath relieved you? --Shak.
7. 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.
Syn: To alleviate; assuage; succor; assist; aid; help; support; substain; ease; mitigate; lighten; diminish; remove; free; remedy; redress; indemnify.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
relieved
adjective: (of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear [syn: {alleviated}, {eased}]
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