different between relieve vs soften

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

Etymology

From Middle English softenen, softnen, equivalent to soft +? -en.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s?f?n/, enPR: s?f?en
• (US) IPA^(key): /?s?f?n/, enPR: sôf?en
• (US, cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /?s?f?n/, enPR: s?f?en

Verb

soften (third-person singular simple present softens, present participle softening, simple past and past participle softened)

1. (transitive) To make something soft or softer.

   Soften the butter before beating in the sugar.

2. (transitive) To undermine the morale of someone (often soften up).

   Before the invasion, we softened up the enemy with the artillery.

3. (transitive) To make less harsh

   Having second thoughts, I softened my criticism.
4. (intransitive) To become soft or softer

   The butter softened as it warmed up.

Derived terms

• soften the ground
• softener

Translations

See also

• mollify
• neshen

Anagrams

• Sefton