Decrease and Relieve

decrease

A change downward.
- usage: "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales"
- synonyms: lessening, drop-off
A process of becoming smaller or shorter.
- synonyms: decrement
The amount by which something decreases.
- synonyms: decrement
The act of decreasing or reducing something.
- synonyms: diminution, reduction, step-down

Decrease in size, extent, or range.
- usage: "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"
- synonyms: diminish, lessen, fall
Make smaller.
- usage: "He decreased his staff"
- synonyms: lessen, minify

(v.t.) To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means.
(v.) A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength.
(n.) To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc. or in strength, quality or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December.
(v.) The wane of the moon.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

relieve

Provide physical relief, as from pain.
- usage: "This pill will relieve your headaches"
- synonyms: alleviate, palliate, assuage
Free someone temporarily from his or her obligations.
- synonyms: take over
Grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to.
- usage: "She exempted me from the exam"
- synonyms: exempt, free
Lessen the intensity of or calm.
- usage: "The news eased my conscience"; "still the fears"
- synonyms: still, allay, ease
Save from ruin, destruction, or harm.
- synonyms: salvage, salve, save
Relieve oneself of troubling information.
- synonyms: unbosom
Provide relief for.
- usage: "remedy his illness"
- synonyms: remedy
Free from a burden, evil, or distress.
Take by stealing.
- usage: "The thief relieved me of $100"
Grant exemption or release to.
- usage: "Please excuse me from this class"
- synonyms: excuse, let off, exempt
Alleviate or remove (pressure or stress) or make less oppressive.
- usage: "relieve the pressure and the stress"; "lighten the burden of caring for her elderly parents"
- synonyms: lighten

(v.t.) To lift up; to raise again, as one who has fallen; to cause to rise.
(v.t.) To cause to seem to rise; to put in relief; to give prominence or conspicuousness to; to set off by contrast.
(v.t.) To release from a post, station or duty; to put another in place of or to take the place of, in the bearing of any burden or discharge of any duty.
(v.t.) To raise or remove, as anything which depresses, weighs down or crushes; to render less burdensome or afflicting; to alleviate; to abate; to mitigate; to lessen; as, to relieve pain; to relieve the wants of the poor.
(v.t.) To free, wholly or partly, from any burden, trial, evil, distress or the like; to give ease, comfort or consolation to; to give aid, help or succor to; to support, strengthen or deliver; as, to relieve a besieged town.
(v.t.) To ease of any imposition, burden, wrong or oppression, by judicial or legislative interposition, as by the removal of a grievance, by indemnification for losses or the like; to right.
(v.t.) To raise up something in; to introduce a contrast or variety into; to remove the monotony or sameness of.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary