From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Alleviate \Al*le"vi*ate\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Alleviated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Alleviating}.] [LL. alleviare, fr. L. ad + levis light. See {Alegge}, {Levity}.]
1. To lighten or lessen the force or weight of. [Obs.]
Should no others join capable to alleviate the expense. --Evelyn.
Those large bladders . . . conduce much to the alleviating of the body [of flying birds]. --Ray.
2. To lighten or lessen (physical or mental troubles); to mitigate, or make easier to be endured; as, to alleviate sorrow, pain, care, etc.; -- opposed to {aggravate}.
The calamity of the want of the sense of hearing is much alleviated by giving the use of letters. --Bp. Horsley.
3. To extenuate; to palliate. [R.]
He alleviates his fault by an excuse. --Johnson.
Syn: To lessen; diminish; soften; mitigate; assuage; abate; relieve; nullify; allay.
Usage: To {Alleviate}, {Mitigate}, {Assuage}, {Allay}. These words have in common the idea of relief from some painful state; and being all figurative, they differ in their application, according to the image under which this idea is presented. Alleviate supposes a load which is lightened or taken off; as, to alleviate one's cares. Mitigate supposes something fierce which is made mild; as, to mitigate one's anguish. Assuage supposes something violent which is quieted; as, to assuage one's sorrow. Allay supposes something previously excited, but now brought down; as, to allay one's suffering or one's thirst. To alleviate the distresses of life; to mitigate the fierceness of passion or the violence of grief; to assuage angry feeling; to allay wounded sensibility.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
verb
1: provide physical relief, as from pain; "This pill will relieve your headaches" [syn: {relieve}, {palliate}, {assuage}]
2: make easier; "you could facilitate the process by sharing your knowledge" [syn: {facilitate}, {ease}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
88 Moby Thesaurus words for "alleviate": abate, allay, anesthetize, appease, assuage, attemper, attenuate, bank the fire, bate, be light, benumb, blunt, chasten, constrain, control, cure, cushion, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, deaden the pain, dilute, diminish, disburden, disencumber, downplay, dull, ease, ease matters, extenuate, foment, give relief, have little weight, keep within bounds, kick the beam, lay, lenify, lessen, lighten, lull, make light, make lighter, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, numb, obtund, off-load, pad, palliate, play down, poultice, pour balm into, pour oil on, reduce, reduce the temperature, reduce weight, relieve, remedy, remit, restrain, salve, slacken, slake, slow down, smother, sober, sober down, soften, soothe, stifle, stupe, subdue, suppress, tame, temper, tone down, tune down, unballast, unburden, underplay, unlade, unload, water down, weaken, weigh lightly
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