/rɪ'li:f; rɪ`lif/
n
1 [U, sing] ~ (from sth) lessening or removing of pain, distress, anxiety, etc （痛苦、困苦、忧虑等的）减轻或解除
*bring, seek, find, give, feel relief 带来、寻求、得到、予以、感到解脱
* doctors working for the relief of suffering, hardship, etc 为解除病痛、痛苦等而工作的医生
* The drug gives some relief from pain. 这种药可以减轻一些痛苦.
* I breathed/heaved a sigh of relief when I heard he was safe. 我听到他平安的消息时才松了一口气.
* To my great relief/Much to my relief, I wasn't late. 我最庆幸的是没有迟到.
* It's a great relief to find you here. 见到你在这儿也就放心了.
* `What a relief!' she said, as she took her tight shoes off. 她把夹脚的鞋脱下时说
*｀可松快了!＇
2 [U] that which brings relief(1); assistance given to people in need or to a disaster area 减轻或解除痛苦等的事物; 向需要帮助者或灾区提供的援助
*send relief (eg food, tents, money, etc) to those made homeless by floods 给水灾中无家可归的人发送救援物资（如食品、帐篷、金钱等）
* provide relief for refugees 赈济难民
* go/come to the relief of earthquake victims 救济地震灾民
* committees for famine relief 饥荒赈灾委员会
* [attrib 作定语] re`lief funds, projects, supplies 救济金、赈灾计画、救济品.
3 [U] ~ (from sth) thing that reduces tension, relieves monotony or brings pleasing variety 缓和紧张、克服单调或带来可喜的变化的事物
*His jokes provided some comic relief in what was really a dull speech. 他说的笑话给极沉闷的讲话增加几分轻松气氛.
* Two comedians followed (eg in a variety show) by way of light relief. 两名喜剧演员接着上场使观众轻松一下（如杂耍演出中）.
4 [C]
(a) person taking over or following after another's turn of duty 换班人; 接替人; 轮班人
*stand in as Peter's relief 准备接替彼得
* [attrib 作定语] a re`lief driver, crew, etc 轮换的驾驶员、乘务组人员等.
(b) bus, train, etc supplementing a regular service （正常运营之外）增开的公共汽车、火车等; 加班车
*The coach was full so a relief was put on. 长途汽车已满员, 所以增开了一辆.
* [attrib 作定语] a re`lief bus, service, etc 增加的公共汽车、运营服务等.
5 [sing] ~ (of sth) ending or raising of the siege (of a town, fort, etc) （城镇、要塞等的）解围
*the relief of Mafeking 马弗京城的解围.

/rɪ'li:f; rɪ`lif/
n
1 (a) [U] method of carving ormoulding in which a design stands out from a flat surface浮雕（法）
*in high/low relief, ie with the background cut out deeply/shallowly 深[浅]浮雕.
(b) [C] design or carving made in this way 浮雕图; 浮雕品.
2 [U] (in drawing, etc) appearance of being done in relief by the use of shading, colour etc （绘画等中）凸现（用明暗、色彩等方法造成的如浮雕般的效果）
*(fig 比喻) The hills stood out in sharp relief against the dawn sky. 拂晓时, 群山的轮廓在天空的映衬下显得很突出.
* The MI5 scandal throws the security issue into stark relief, ie draws attention to its real nature. 英国安全局丑闻发生後, 安全问题显得格外突出.
3 [U] differences of height between hills and valleys, etc 山和山谷等的高度的差异
*a re`lief map 地形图
* The relief is clearly shown on this plan. 在这张平面图上, 地势的起伏表示得很清楚.

n

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1【comfort】
2【reduction of pain】
3【help】
4【replacement】
5【decoration】
6 bring/throw something into relief
7 light/comic relief
8【money】
9【war】
10【map】

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[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French;Origin: relever; RELIEVE]
【COMFORT】 [singular, U]
a feeling of comfort when something frightening, worrying, or painful has ended or has not happened
→relieve
　I felt a huge surge of relief and happiness.
with relief
　He watched with relief as the girl nodded.
in relief
　He laughed in relief.
　No one was hurt, and we all breathed a sigh of relief .
it is a relief to see/have/know etc sth
　I hate to say it, but it was a relief to have him out of the house.
to sb's relief
　To my relief, they spoke English.
what a relief/that's a relief
　The doctor said it was just the flu. What a relief!
【REDUCTION OF PAIN】[U]
when something reduces someone's pain or unhappy feelings
　Marijuana can provide pain relief for some cancer patients.
relief of
　the relief of suffering
relief from
　The cool room provided relief from the terrible heat outdoors.
【HELP】[U]
money, food, clothes etc given to people who are poor or hungry
　money raised for the relief effort
disaster/famine/flood etc relief
　famine relief for victims of the drought
【REPLACEMENT】[U]
a person or group of people that replaces another one and does their work after they have finished
　the relief for the military guard
　a relief driver
【DECORATION】 [U and C]
a way of decorating wood, stone etc with a shape or figure that is raised above the surface, or the decoration itself
→bas reliefin relief
　figures carved in relief
bring/throw sth into reliefalsostand out in relief
to make something very noticeable, or to be very noticeable
sharp/stark relief
　The tree stood out in stark relief against the snow.
　The article throws into sharp relief the differences between the two theories.
light/comic relief
a funny moment during a serious film, book, or situation
　a moment of comic relief
【MONEY】[U]
old-fashioned especially AmE money given by the government to help people who are poor, old, unemployed etc
= welfareon relief
　families on relief during the Depression
【WAR】[U]formal
the act of freeing a town when it has been surrounded by an enemy
relief of
　the relief of Mafeking
【MAP】
in relief
if you show a part of the Earth's surface in relief, you show the differences in height between different parts of it
→tax relief