Alleviate

medium

uh-LEE-vee-ayt

verb

Definition

To make suffering, deficiency, or a problem less severe

Examples

The medication helped alleviate her pain.
New policies were introduced to alleviate poverty.

Synonyms

relieveeasemitigateassuage

Antonyms

aggravateworsenintensifyexacerbate

Categories

GRE Tip

Alleviate is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "relieve" or "ease" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "aggravate".

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