different between relieve vs abate

English

Etymology

From Old French relever, specifically from the conjugated forms such as (jeo) relieve (“I lift up”), and its source, Latin relevo (“to lift up, lighten, relieve, alleviate”), combined form of re- (“back”) + levo (“to lift”). Compare levant, levity, etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???li?v/
• Rhymes: -i?v

Verb

relieve (third-person singular simple present relieves, present participle relieving, simple past and past participle relieved)

1. (transitive) To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of. [from 14th c.]
2. (transitive) To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or discomfort. [from 14th c.]
3. (transitive) To alleviate (pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.). [from 14th c.]
4. (transitive) To provide comfort or assistance to (someone in need, especially in poverty). [from 14th c.]
5. (obsolete) To lift up; to raise again. [15th-17th c.]
6. (now rare) To raise (someone) out of danger or from (a specified difficulty etc.). [from 15th c.]
7. (law) To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations; to give legal relief to. [from 15th c.]

   This shall not relieve either Party of any obligations.

8. To bring military help to (a besieged town); to lift the siege on. [from 16th c.]
9. To release (someone) from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc. [from 16th c.]
10. (military, job) To free (someone) from their post, task etc. by taking their place. [from 16th c.]
11. (now rare) To make (something) stand out; to make prominent, bring into relief. [from 18th c.]
    • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, III.76:

      The henna should be deeply dyed to make / The skin relieved appear more fairly fair […]

    • 1927, Countee Cullen, From the Dark Tower:

      The night whose sable breast relieves the stark / White stars is no less lovely being dark

12. (reflexive) To go to the toilet; to defecate or urinate. [from 20th c.]

Synonyms

• (to alleviate pain, ease): liss

Derived terms

• relieve oneself

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• relieve in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• relieve in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /re?ljebe/, [re?lje.??e]

Noun

relieve m (plural relieves)

1. relief (protrusion)

Derived terms

Further reading

• “relieve” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??be?t/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??be?t/
• Rhymes: -e?t

Etymology 1

From Middle English abaten, from Old French abatre (“to beat down”) (possibly via Middle French), from Late Latin abbatto, from ab- (“away”) + batto, from Latin battuere (“to beat”). Cognate to modern French abattre.

Verb

abate (third-person singular simple present abates, present participle abating, simple past and past participle abated)

1. (transitive, obsolete outside law) To put an end to; to cause to cease. [attested since about 1150 to 1350]

2. (intransitive) To become null and void. [attested since the late 15th century]

3. (transitive, law) To nullify; make void. [attested since the late 15th century]

4. (transitive, obsolete) To humble; to lower in status; to bring someone down physically or mentally. [attested from around 1150 to 1350 until the mid 1600s]

   • The hyer that they were in this present lyf, the moore shulle they be abated and defouled in helle.

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To be humbled; to be brought down physically or mentally. [attested from around 1150 to 1350 until the mid 1600s]
6. (transitive, obsolete) To curtail; to deprive. [attested from around 1350 to 1470 until the mid 1800s]
   • 1605, William Shakespeare, King Lear, II.ii:

     She hath abated me of half my train.

7. (transitive) To reduce in amount, size, or value. [attested since 1325]

   • His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

8. (intransitive) To decrease in size, value, or amount. [attested since 1325]
9. (transitive) To moderate; to lessen in force, intensity, to subside. [attested since around 1150 to 1350]
   • 1597, Francis Bacon Essays or Counsels, Civil and Morall:

     Not that they feel it so, but only to abate the edge of envy.

   • 1855, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, Part 3, page 267:

     The fury of Glengarry […] rapidly abated.

10. (intransitive) To decrease in intensity or force; to subside. [attested since around 1150 to 1350]
    • c. 1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe:

      […] in the morning, the wind having abated overnight, the sea was calm, […]

11. (transitive) To deduct or omit. [attested since around 1350 to 1470]
12. (transitive) To bar or except. [attested since the late 1500s]
13. (transitive) To cut away or hammer down, in such a way as to leave a figure in relief, as a sculpture, or in metalwork.
14. (transitive, obsolete) To dull the edge or point of; to blunt. [attested from the mid 1500s till the late 1600s]
15. (transitive, archaic) To destroy, or level to the ground. [attested since around 1350 to 1470]
    • 1542, Edward Hall, The Union of the Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and York:

      The kynge of Scottes planted his siege before the castell of Norham, and sore abated the walls.

Synonyms

• (bring down or reduce): lessen; diminish; contract; moderate; cut short; decrease; lower; suppress; terminate; remove; remit; slacken
• (diminish in force or intensity): diminish; subside; decline; wane; ebb; mitigate; assuage; temper; alleviate; relax
• (bring someone down): humble; depress; appease; pacify; soothe; soften; tranquilize
• (come to naught): fall through; fail

Antonyms

• (bring down or reduce): augment, accelerate, aggravate, amplify, continue, develop, enhance, enlarge, extend, foment, increase, intensify, magnify, prolong, raise, rise, revive

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

abate (plural abates)

1. (obsolete) Abatement. [from around 1400 until the late 1600s]

Etymology 2

From Anglo-Norman abatre, an alteration of enbatre, from Old French en + batre (“to beat”).

Verb

abate (third-person singular simple present abates, present participle abating, simple past and past participle abated)

1. (intransitive, law) to enter a tenement without permission after the owner has died and before the heir takes possession. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

Etymology 3

From Italian abate, from Latin abb?s, abb?tis, from Ancient Greek ????? (abbâs), from Aramaic ???? (’abb?, “father”). Doublet of abbot.

Alternative forms

• abbate

Noun

abate (plural abates)

1. an Italian abbot, or other member of the clergy. [First attested in the early 18th century.]

References

• abate at OneLook Dictionary Search
• abate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• abeat

Italian

Alternative forms

• abbate

Etymology

From Late Latin abb?tem, accusative form of abb?s, from Ancient Greek ????? (abbâs), from Aramaic ???? (’abb?, “father”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a?ba.te/
• Rhymes: -ate
• Hyphenation: a?bà?te

Noun

abate m (plural abati, feminine badessa)

1. abbot

Derived terms

• abatino (diminutive)
• abatonzolo (pejorative)

Related terms

Descendants

• ? Albanian: abat
• ? Belarusian: ???? (abat)
• ? Bulgarian: ???? (abat)
• ? English: abate
• ? Romanian: abate
• ? Russian: ????? (abbat)
• ? Ukrainian: ???? (abat)

Anagrams

• beata

References

• abate in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• abate in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti

Latvian

Etymology

From abats (“abbott”) +? -e (fem.).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [abat?]

Noun

abate f (5th declension, masculine form: abats)

1. abbess (the female superior of a Catholic abbey or nunnery)

Declension

Related terms

• abatija

Further reading

• abate at tezaurs.lv

Lithuanian

Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): [?b.??t??]

Noun

abatè

1. locative singular of abatas
2. instrumental singular of abat?

Pronunciation 2

• IPA^(key): [?b?a?.t??]

Noun

abãte

1. vocative singular of abatas
2. vocative singular of abat?

Middle English

Verb

abate

1. Alternative form of abaten

Portuguese

Verb

abate

1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of abater
2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of abater

Romanian

Etymology 1

From Vulgar Latin *abbatere, present active infinitive of *abbat?, *abbatu?, from Latin battu?.

Verb

a abate (third-person singular present abate, past participle ab?tut) 3rd conj.

1. to stray (often figuratively in a moral sense), derogate, deviate, divert from, digress

   Synonyms: devia, îndep?rta

2. to change paths, swerve from, wander from
3. (reflexive) to stop (going a certain way)

   Synonym: opri

4. to dissuade
5. to knock down

   Synonyms: d?râma, da jos

Conjugation

Derived terms

• abatere

Related terms

• bate

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Italian abate, from Latin abb?s, abb?tis, from Ancient Greek ????? (abbâs), from Aramaic ???? (’abb?, “father”).

Noun

abate m (plural aba?i)

1. abbot

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a?bate/, [a???a.t?e]

Verb

abate

1. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present indicative form of abatir.
2. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of abatir.