Alleviated

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Alleviate \Al*le"vi*ate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Alleviated}; p.
     pr. & vb. n. {Alleviating}.] [LL. alleviare, fr. L. ad +
     levis light. See {Alegge}, {Levity}.]
     1. To lighten or lessen the force or weight of. [Obs.]
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              Should no others join capable to alleviate the
              expense.                              --Evelyn.
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              Those large bladders . . . conduce much to the
              alleviating of the body [of flying birds]. --Ray.
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     2. To lighten or lessen (physical or mental troubles); to
        mitigate, or make easier to be endured; as, to alleviate
        sorrow, pain, care, etc.; -- opposed to {aggravate}.
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              The calamity of the want of the sense of hearing is
              much alleviated by giving the use of letters. --Bp.
                                                    Horsley.
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     3. To extenuate; to palliate. [R.]
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              He alleviates his fault by an excuse. --Johnson.
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     Syn: To lessen; diminish; soften; mitigate; assuage; abate;
          relieve; nullify; allay.
  
     Usage: To {Alleviate}, {Mitigate}, {Assuage}, {Allay}. These
            words have in common the idea of relief from some
            painful state; and being all figurative, they differ
            in their application, according to the image under
            which this idea is presented. Alleviate supposes a
            load which is lightened or taken off; as, to alleviate
            one's cares. Mitigate supposes something fierce which
            is made mild; as, to mitigate one's anguish. Assuage
            supposes something violent which is quieted; as, to
            assuage one's sorrow. Allay supposes something
            previously excited, but now brought down; as, to allay
            one's suffering or one's thirst. To alleviate the
            distresses of life; to mitigate the fierceness of
            passion or the violence of grief; to assuage angry
            feeling; to allay wounded sensibility.
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  alleviated \alleviated\ adj.
     1. 1 made less severe or intense. {unmitigated}
  
     Syn: eased, relieved, mitigated.
          [WordNet 1.5]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  alleviated
       adj : (of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear [syn: {eased}, {relieved}]