Meaning & use
alleviate
Last updated
UK/əˈliːvieɪt/
US/əˈliːvieɪt/
Meaning
verbtransitive
To make pain, suffering, or a problem less severe, though not necessarily to remove it entirely.
Grammar: Takes an object: alleviate pain.
Patterns
- alleviate something
- alleviate the pain
- alleviate a problem
The medicine helped alleviate her headache.
These policies aim to alleviate poverty in rural areas.
A short break can alleviate stress.
Word forms
| third person singular | alleviates |
|---|---|
| past tense | alleviated |
| past participle | alleviated |
| present participle | alleviating |
Common combinations
- alleviate pain
- The drug is used to alleviate pain after surgery.
- alleviate suffering
- The charity works to alleviate suffering in war zones.
- alleviate poverty
- Education can help alleviate poverty.
- alleviate stress
- Regular exercise can alleviate stress.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ease
- Often used for pain or discomfort; 'alleviate' is slightly more formal and can also refer to problems.
- relieve
- Similar but often implies a more complete removal of discomfort, while 'alleviate' suggests making it less severe.
- reduce
- More general; 'alleviate' specifically applies to pain, suffering, or problems.
Opposites
Word family
- alleviation noun
- The act of making something less severe.
- alleviative adjective
- Having the effect of relieving pain or problems.
Commonly confused: alleviate or allocate?
alleviate vs allocate
Means to distribute resources, not to make pain less severe.
Practice
The new drug was designed to _______ the symptoms of arthritis.
Choose one answer.
'Alleviate' means to make symptoms less severe. 'Allocate' means to distribute; 'allege' means to claim without proof; 'allude' means to refer indirectly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “alleviate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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