Difference between Relieve and Lighten

What is the difference between Relieve and Lighten?

Relieve as a verb is to lift up; to raise again, as one who has fallen; to cause to rise. while Lighten as a verb is to become light or lighter in weight.

Relieve

Part of speech: verb

Definition: To lift up; to raise again, as one who has fallen; to cause to rise. To cause to seem to rise; to put in relief; to give prominence or conspicuousness to; to set off by contrast. To raise up something in; to introduce a contrast or variety into; to remove the monotony or sameness of. To raise or remove, as anything which depresses, weighs down, or crushes; to render less burdensome or afflicting; to alleviate; to abate; to mitigate; to lessen; as, to relieve pain; to relieve the wants of the poor. To free, wholly or partly, from any burden, trial, evil, distress, or the like; to give ease, comfort, or consolation to; to give aid, help, or succor to; to support, strengthen, or deliver; as, to relieve a besieged town. To release from a post, station, or duty; to put another in place of, or to take the place of, in the bearing of any burden, or discharge of any duty. To ease of any imposition, burden, wrong, or oppression, by judicial or legislative interposition, as by the removal of a grievance, by indemnification for losses, or the like; to right.

Example sentence: Affliction's sons are brothers in distress; A brother to relieve, how exquisite the bliss!

Lighten

Part of speech: verb

Definition: To become light or lighter in weight.To become less serious or more cheerful.To make light or lighter in weight.To make less serious or more cheerful.To alleviate; to reduce the burden of.To become brighter or clearer; to brighten.To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate.

Example sentence: When times get tough, at some point, people instinctively know they need to lighten up in order to get through it.

We hope you now know whether to use Relieve or Lighten in your sentence.

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