MEANING
To lessen pain, distress, or another burden without necessarily removing it.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- alleviate suffering
- alleviate a shortage
On the page
The message alleviated uncertainty without answering every question.
The supplies alleviated the shortage for a few days.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- alleviate
- Past tense
- alleviated
- Past participle
- alleviated
- Present participle
- alleviating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- alleviate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are alleviating
- Present perfect
- have/has alleviated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been alleviating
- Past
- alleviated
- Past continuous
- was/were alleviating
- Past perfect
- had alleviated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been alleviating
- Future
- will alleviate
- Future continuous
- will be alleviating
- Future perfect
- will have alleviated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been alleviating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: alleviate; alleviates; alleviated; alleviated; alleviating Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: alleviates.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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