Relief  n. 1 a alleviation of or deliverance from pain, distress, anxiety, etc. B feeling accompanying such deliverance. 2 feature etc. That diversifies monotony or relaxes tension. 3 assistance (esp. Financial) given to those in special need or difficulty. 4 a replacing of a person or persons on duty by another or others. B person or persons replacing others in this way. 5 (usu. Attrib.) Thing supplementing another in some service (relief bus). 6 a method of moulding, carving, or stamping in which the design stands out from the surface. B piece of sculpture etc. In relief. C representation of relief given by an arrangement of line, colour, or shading. 7 vividness, distinctness (brings the facts out in sharp relief). 8 (foll. By of) reinforcement (esp. The raising of a siege) of a place. 9 esp. Law redress of a hardship or grievance. [french and italian: related to *relieve]