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Suppress vs Relieve - What's the difference?

suppress | relieve |

In obsolete terms the difference between suppress and relieve

is that suppress is to hold in place, to keep low while relieve is to lift up; to raise again.

As verbs the difference between suppress and relieve

is that suppress is to put an end to, especially with force, to crush, do away with; to prohibit, subdue while relieve is to ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of.

suppress

English

Verb

  • to put an end to, especially with force, to crush, do away with; to prohibit, subdue
  • ''Political dissent was brutally suppressed .
  • to restrain or repress an expression
  • ''I struggled to suppress my smile.
  • (psychiatry) to exclude undesirable thoughts from one's mind
  • He unconsciously suppressed his memories of abuse.
  • to prevent publication
  • The government suppressed the findings of their research about the true state of the economy.
  • to stop a flow or stream
  • The rescue team managed to suppress the flow of oil by blasting the drilling hole.
    ''Hot blackcurrant juice mixed with honey may suppress cough.
  • (US, legal) to forbid the use of evidence at trial because it is improper or was improperly obtained
  • (electronics) to reduce unwanted frequencies in a signal
  • (obsolete) to hold in place, to keep low
  • Anagrams

    *

    relieve

    English

    Verb

    (reliev)
  • To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=Then we relapsed into a discomfited silence, and wished we were anywhere else. But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud, and with such a hearty enjoyment that instead of getting angry and more mortified we began to laugh ourselves, and instantly felt better.}}
  • To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or discomfort.
  • To alleviate (pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.).
  • To provide comfort or assistance to (someone in need, especially in poverty).
  • (obsolete) To lift up; to raise again.
  • (legal) To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations; to give legal relief to.
  • This shall not relieve either Party of any obligations.
  • To bring military help to (a besieged town); to lift the seige on.
  • To release (someone) from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
  • (military, job) To free (someone) from their post, task etc. by taking their place.
  • * 1819 , (Lord Byron), , III.76:
  • The henna should be deeply dyed to make / The skin relieved appear more fairly fair [...].
  • * 1927 , (Countee Cullen), From the Dark Tower :
  • The night whose sable breast relieves the stark / White stars is no less lovely being dark
  • (reflexive) To go to the toilet; to defecate or urinate.
  • Synonyms

    * (l)

    Derived terms

    * relieve oneself