- [uncountable, singular] the feeling of happiness that you have when something unpleasant stops or does not happen
- I felt a huge sense of relief when I heard they were all OK.
- We all breathed a sigh of relief when he left.
- Much to my relief the car was not damaged.
- News of their safety came as a great relief.
- She sighed with relief.
- He smiled in relief as he saw them both.
- She had gone through hell and there was no relief in sight for her.
- relief to somebody This was a great relief to him.
- It was a relief to be able to talk to someone about it.
- It was a relief to her to realize that she was not the only one with this problem.
- relief that… His mother spoke of her relief that he was now safely home.
- It is actually a relief that it's finally happened.
- relief at something She expressed relief at the outcome of the investigation.
- relief at doing something He described his relief at securing his freedom.
- What a relief!
Extra ExamplesTopics Feelingsb2- He believes that relief only comes from helping others with their suffering.
- He hugged her out of sheer relief.
- I felt enormous relief once they phoned.
- I felt enormous relief when he walked through the door.
- Relief flooded through me as the aeroplane landed safely.
- She could sense his relief when she said she wouldn't be leaving.
- She smiled in relief.
- She smiled with evident relief.
- She sought relief in drink.
- The news came as a welcome relief to Bobby.
- The news of his appointment was received with a certain relief by most people.
- The news was a huge relief to her.
- Their relief at the news was palpable.
- To my great relief, she didn't notice that anything was wrong.
- relief at not having been made a fool of
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- considerable
- deep
- enormous
- …
- bring (somebody)
- give (somebody)
- offer (somebody)
- …
- come
- flood through somebody
- sweep over somebody
- …
- valve
- in relief
- out of relief
- to your relief
- …
- a cry of relief
- a sigh of relief
- tears of relief
- …
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- [uncountable] the act of removing or reducing pain, worry, etc.
- modern methods of pain relief
- relief of something the relief of symptoms/suffering/poverty/pain
- relief from something The drugs only provided temporary relief from the pain.
- All the tables in the shade were occupied by people seeking relief from the heat.
- Massage can bring some relief from tension.
Extra Examples- Exercise is good for stress relief.
- The injection gives complete pain relief.
- Your doctor can give you symptomatic relief, but there is no cure.
- Morning brought no relief from the heat.
- relief from hunger
- He found relief from his fears in a world of fantasy and art.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- considerable
- deep
- enormous
- …
- bring (somebody)
- give (somebody)
- offer (somebody)
- …
- come
- flood through somebody
- sweep over somebody
- …
- valve
- in relief
- out of relief
- to your relief
- …
- a cry of relief
- a sigh of relief
- tears of relief
- …
- [uncountable] food, money, medicine, etc. that is given to help people in places where there has been a war or natural disaster synonym aid
- disaster relief
- relief efforts/operations
- relief organizations/supplies/work
- We raised £5 000 for famine relief.
- One relief agency worker described the situation as ‘catastrophic’.
Extra ExamplesTopics The environmentb2, Social issuesb2- There was a huge international relief effort to bring help to the stricken area.
- We need long-term solutions as well as short-term emergency relief.
- The organization provides emergency famine relief.
- She said that the fighting has halted almost all relief work in the area.
- An effective multinational force will help speed delivery of humanitarian relief.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- humanitarian
- disaster
- emergency
- …
- give somebody
- provide (somebody with)
- send (somebody)
- …
- work
- effort
- operation
- …
- [uncountable] (especially North American English) financial help given by the government to people who need itTopics Moneyb2
- (also tax relief)[uncountable] a reduction in the amount of tax you have to pay
- relief on mortgage interest payments
Extra Examples- No tax relief is available in respect of this loss.
- You can get income tax relief for gifts to charity.
- You get mortgage relief of 10% on the next £5 000.
- the abolition of mortgage interest relief
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- debt
- interest
- tax
- …
- get
- obtain
- receive
- …
- be available
- [uncountable, singular] something that is interesting or fun that replaces something boring, difficult or unpleasant for a short period of time
- a few moments of light relief in an otherwise dull performance
- There was little comic relief in his speech.
- relief from something The calm of the countryside came as a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Extra Examples- The comical characters are brought into the story for a little light relief.
- The scene provided some comic relief for the audience.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- light
- comic
- give (somebody)
- provide (somebody with)
- for relief
- a moment of relief
- [countable + singular or plural verb] (often used as an adjective) a person or group of people that replaces another when they have finished working for the day or when they are sick
- The next crew relief comes/come on duty at 9 o'clock.
- We have a pool of relief drivers available to us.
- [singular] relief of… the act of freeing a town, etc. from an enemy army that has surrounded it
- the relief of Mafeking
- [uncountable, countable] a way of decorating wood, stone, etc. by cutting designs into the surface of it so that some parts stick out more than others; a design that is made in this way
- The column was decorated in high relief (= with designs that stick out a lot) with scenes from Greek mythology.
- The bronze doors are covered with sculpted reliefs.
Extra ExamplesTopics Buildingsc2- The scene has been carved in high relief.
- a sculpture in high relief
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- bas
- low
- …
- carve (something) in
- carving
- sculpture
- panel
- …
- in relief
- [uncountable] the effect of colours, light, etc. that makes an object easier to notice than others around it
- The snow-capped mountain stood out in sharp relief against the blue sky.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- bold
- sharp
- stark
- …
- bring something into
- throw something into
- stand out in
- …
- [uncountable] the quality of a particular situation, problem, etc. that makes it easier to notice than before
- Their differences have been thrown into sharp relief by the present crisis.
- The proximity of the wealthy suburb to the squatter camp throws the plight of the squatters into even sharper relief.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- bold
- sharp
- stark
- …
- bring something into
- throw something into
- stand out in
- …
removal of anxiety/pain
help
on tax
something different
workers
from enemy
in art
making something easy to notice
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, from relever ‘raise up, relieve’, from Latin relevare ‘raise again, alleviate’.
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