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.]
Should no others join capable to alleviate the
expense.
Evelyn.
Those large bladders . . . conduce much to the
alleviating of the body [of flying birds].
Ray.
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.
The calamity of the want of the sense of hearing is much
alleviated by giving the use of letters.
Bp. Horsley.
3. To extenuate; to palliate. [R.]
He alleviates his fault by an excuse.
Johnson.
Syn. -- To lessen; diminish; soften; mitigate; assuage; abate;
relieve; nullify; allay. -- 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.
