relief

noun

• 1a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress:much to her relief, she saw the door open
• [count noun] a cause of or occasion for relief:it was a relief to find somewhere to stay
• the alleviation of pain, discomfort, or distress:tablets for the relief of pain
• (usually light relief) something interesting or enjoyable that provides a short respite from a tense or tedious situation:the kiss-and-tell tale gave the nation some light relief from page after page of war coverage

• 2financial or practical assistance given to those in special need or difficulty:raising money for famine relief [as modifier]:relief workers
• a remission of tax normally due:employees who donate to charity will receive tax relief
• chiefly Law the redress of a hardship or grievance.
• the action of raising the siege of a besieged town:the relief of Mafeking

• 3 [usually as modifier] a person or group of people replacing others who have been on duty:the relief nurse was late
• British an extra vehicle providing supplementary public transport at peak times or in emergencies: the coach had broken down and a relief vehicle had taken an hour to arrive

• 4the state of being clearly visible or obvious due to being accentuated:the setting sun threw the snow-covered peaks into relief
• a method of moulding, carving, or stamping in which the design stands out from the surface, to a greater ( high relief) or lesser ( low relief) extent: he cast them in relief from molten metal
• [count noun] a piece of sculpture in relief.
• a representation of relief given by an arrangement of line or colour or shading.
• Geography difference in height from the surrounding terrain:the sharp relief of many mountains

  [via French from Italian rilievo, from rilevare 'raise', from Latin relevare]