relief

relief — 名詞

1. The pleasant feeling you get when a worry, fear, or uncomfortable situation goes

1.名詞B1
釋義

鬆了一口氣

擔心解除後的輕鬆感受

The pleasant feeling you get when a worry, fear, or uncomfortable situation goes away or turns out better than you feared.

例句

Zayd let out a deep breath of relief when the exam results arrived.

Zayd 看到考試成績後,深深鬆了一口氣。

collocation: breath of relief

To everyone's relief, the storm changed direction and missed the town.

讓大家鬆了一口氣的是,暴風雨轉向並避開了小鎮。

fixed phrase: to one's relief

同義詞
  • comfort

    more general, can be physical or emotional

  • solace

    more literary; suggests deep emotional consolation in grief

  • ease

    less intense; freedom from difficulty rather than from fear

反義詞
  • anxiety

    the uneasy feeling that relief replaces

  • dread

    strong fear about something that has not yet happened

文法句型

to one's relief

what a relief

relief at / when…

用法筆記

Often used in fixed expressions: 'to one's relief', 'what a relief', and 'it is a relief to...'. For physical pain, use 'relief from' rather than bare 'relief'.

常見錯誤

I felt relief from hearing the good news.
I felt relief at hearing the good news.
💡'relief at' is the correct preposition for the cause of relief.
The news gave me a relief.
The news gave me great relief.
💡In this sense relief is uncountable, so no article 'a' before it.

2. Food, water, medicine, money, or other help provided to people who are suffering

2.名詞B1
釋義

救濟物資

提供給災民或窮人的援助

Food, water, medicine, money, or other help provided to people who are suffering because of a war, natural disaster, or severe poverty.

例句

International relief agencies sent food and clean water to the flooded region.

國際救濟機構向水災地區運送了食物和乾淨的水。

collocation: relief agencies

The government announced new relief funds for families affected by the earthquake.

政府宣布了為地震受災家庭提供的新救濟基金。

collocation: relief funds

同義詞
  • aid

    broader term; can be any kind of help, not just emergency

  • assistance

    more formal and general

  • humanitarian aid

    specifically for crisis situations; more formal

文法句型

relief + noun (relief fund / relief effort)

relief for + noun phrase

用法筆記

Common before nouns: relief agency, relief worker, relief fund, relief supplies. Can also refer to 'tax relief' — a reduction in the amount of tax owed.

常見錯誤

The relief gave each family a box of food.
The relief agency gave each family a box of food.
💡Though 'relief' can mean help, it usually needs a modifier or context to refer to the organization delivering it.

3. In baseball, the period of throwing done by a pitcher who enters the game to rep

3.名詞B2
釋義

後援投球

棒球中替補先發投手上場

In baseball, the period of throwing done by a pitcher who enters the game to replace a pitcher who has already left the mound.

例句

Rodrigo pitched three innings of relief and did not allow a single run.

Rodrigo 後援投了三局,沒有讓對手拿下任何一分。

pattern: innings of relief

The team's relief pitcher struck out four batters in a row to end the game.

球隊的後援投手連續三振了四位打者,結束了比賽。

collocation: relief pitcher

反義詞

文法句型

in relief

innings of relief

relief pitcher

用法筆記

Baseball-specific. The opposite is 'starting pitching'. Relief pitchers are also called 'relievers' or 'bullpen pitchers'.

4. A technique for decorating a flat surface such as wood, stone, or metal by cutti

4.名詞B2
釋義

浮雕技法

從平面凸起圖案的雕刻方法

A technique for decorating a flat surface such as wood, stone, or metal by cutting away the background so that the design sticks out from the surface.

例句

The ancient temple walls were decorated with intricate relief carvings of flowers and animals.

古廟的牆壁上裝飾著精緻的花卉和動物浮雕。

collocation: relief carving

The artist created a beautiful relief in wood, showing a family gathered around a fire.

藝術家用木頭創作了一件美麗的浮雕,描繪一家人圍著火的場景。

同義詞
  • bas-relief

    specifically low relief where the design projects only slightly

  • embossing

    a similar technique for paper or metal, usually done by pressing rather than carving

文法句型

in relief

relief carving / sculpture

用法筆記

The technique itself is uncountable ('carved in relief'). Individual works are countable ('a stone relief'). 'High relief' means the design stands out a lot; 'low relief' (also called 'bas-relief') means it stands out only slightly.

常見錯誤

The artist made a relief on the wall.
The artist carved a relief on the wall.
💡The verb 'carve' or 'create' is more precise than 'make' for this technique.

5. A sculpture or carved design in which the shapes stand out from a flat backgroun

5.名詞B2
釋義

浮雕作品

凸出於平面的雕刻藝術品

A sculpture or carved design in which the shapes stand out from a flat background surface, as opposed to a fully three-dimensional statue.

例句

The limestone relief above the door showed a king hunting deer with his men.

門上方的石灰岩浮雕描繪了一位國王帶著部下獵鹿的場景。

Devika admired the marble relief of dancers on the old palace wall.

Devika 欣賞著舊皇宮牆上舞者的大理石浮雕。

pattern: relief of [subject]

同義詞
  • carving

    broader; can refer to work that is fully three-dimensional

  • bas-relief

    a specific type of relief sculpture where the design projects only slightly

  • frieze

    a long, narrow relief placed high on a wall, usually telling a story

反義詞

文法句型

a + adjective + relief + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

A countable noun — you can have 'a relief' or several 'reliefs'. Some reliefs are portable panels, while others are carved directly onto building walls as permanent decoration.

6. Someone who takes over a job or shift so that the usual worker can rest, go off

6.名詞B2
釋義

替班人員

代替他人值班的人員

Someone who takes over a job or shift so that the usual worker can rest, go off duty, or take time off.

例句

The night-shift relief arrived at ten o'clock to take over from the day team.

夜班替班人員在十點到達,接替白班團隊的工作。

Mira worked as a relief driver during the holidays when many staff were on leave.

Mira 在假期期間擔任代班司機,因為許多員工都休假。

collocation: relief driver

同義詞
  • replacement

    more general; can be for any role, not just shift work

  • substitute

    common in teaching and sports

  • stand-in

    informal; often used in film or theater

文法句型

a relief + noun (driver / nurse / worker)

the relief arrives / comes

用法筆記

Used especially for shift-based jobs: nursing, security, factory work, and driving. The relief allows the previous worker to rest or go off duty.

常見錯誤

I am a relief.
I am a relief driver.' or 'I work as relief staff.
💡When referring to a person, the compound form (relief + job role) is more natural.

7. an enjoyable activity or event that breaks up a period of boredom or difficulty

7.名詞B2
釋義

解悶;調劑

打破無聊或單調的有趣活動

an enjoyable activity or event that breaks up a period of boredom or difficulty by giving you something different to focus on

例句

After three hours of homework, Yan found relief by playing a short game on his phone.

Yan 寫了三小時功課後,打了一會兒手機遊戲來解悶。

relief + by + V-ing: activity that breaks boredom

The comedy show was a welcome relief from the serious tone of the training course.

那場喜劇表演為嚴肅的培訓課程帶來了讓人愉快的調劑。

welcome relief from + noun

同義詞
  • diversion

    more formal; emphasises turning attention away from routine

  • distraction

    suggests something that stops you focusing on what is unpleasant

  • break

    more general; a pause from an activity

反義詞
  • bore

    something that causes the boredom relief aims to break

  • drudgery

    the dull, hard work that relief provides a break from

文法句型

relief + from + noun/gerund

a welcome/light/comic + relief

用法筆記

Often paired with adjectives like welcome, light, or comic to describe the type of break.

常見錯誤

After the exam, I felt a big relief from boredom.
After the exam, I found relief from boredom by watching a funny film.
💡'relief' in this sense is an activity or event that causes the break, not the feeling of relief itself; use the feeling sense (noun/1) for the emotion.

8. a legal order or compensation provided by a court to someone who has suffered a

8.名詞C1
釋義

法律救濟

法院提供的補償或命令

a legal order or compensation provided by a court to someone who has suffered a wrong or loss

例句

The court granted relief to the tenants by ordering the landlord to fix the broken pipes.

法院命令房東修理破裂的水管,以此對租戶提供法律救濟。

grant relief to + affected party

Mateo sought legal relief after a former business partner stole his client list.

Mateo 的前合夥人偷走他的客戶名單後,他向法院尋求法律救濟。

seek legal relief

同義詞
  • redress

    formal; emphasises correction of a wrong

  • remedy

    any legal solution, not just financial

  • compensation

    narrower; only covers money or payment

反義詞
  • injustice

    the wrong that legal relief aims to correct

文法句型

seek/grant/deny + relief

relief + for + affected party

用法筆記

Commonly used in formal legal contexts. Often appears with specific adjectives: injunctive relief (a court order to stop or force an action), monetary relief (financial compensation), tax relief (a reduction in the amount of tax owed).

常見錯誤

I need relief from my noisy neighbour.
I need legal relief from my noisy neighbour.
💡in everyday conversation, 'relief' alone suggests the feeling sense (noun/1); for the legal meaning, pair it with a legal adjective or context.

9. the action of ending a military siege by driving enemy forces away from a surrou

9.名詞C1
釋義

解圍;救援

解救被包圍的城鎮或軍隊

the action of ending a military siege by driving enemy forces away from a surrounded town or position

例句

The army marched through the night to bring relief to the besieged city.

軍隊連夜行軍,前去解救那座被圍困的城市。

bring relief to + besieged place

Naval ships were sent for the relief of the soldiers trapped at the coastal fort.

軍艦被派去救援被困在沿海堡壘中的士兵。

the relief of + military position

同義詞
  • liberation

    broader; can apply to any freeing from control or occupation

  • rescue

    more general; used for any dangerous situation, not only military

反義詞
  • siege

    the state that relief aims to end

  • encirclement

    the surrounding of a position by enemy forces

文法句型

the relief of + besieged place

bring relief to + besieged place

用法筆記

This sense is almost always used in military-historical contexts. The pattern 'relief of + [place/force]' is the most common grammatical frame. Distinguish from sense 2 (AID) — sense 9 is specifically about breaking a military siege, not about humanitarian assistance.

常見錯誤

The Red Cross brought relief to the flood victims.
The Red Cross brought aid to the flood victims.
💡for humanitarian help use sense 2 (aid/food/money); 'relief' in this military sense only applies to breaking a siege.

10. the effect created when something is easy to see or notice because it clearly st

10.名詞B2
釋義

對比;突出

因與背景對比而清晰可見

the effect created when something is easy to see or notice because it clearly stands out from its background or surroundings

例句

The white lighthouse stood out in sharp relief against the dark grey sky.

那座白色燈塔在深灰色的天空襯托下顯得格外突出。

in sharp relief against (visual contrast)

Lakan's orange backpack was in vivid relief against the green forest path.

Lakan 的橙色背包在綠色森林小徑的對比下十分顯眼。

in vivid relief against

同義詞
  • contrast

    straightforward; 'in contrast to' is more common in everyday speech

  • prominence

    emphasises the state of being noticeable rather than the cause

反義詞
  • obscurity

    the state of being hard to see or notice

  • blend

    when something merges into its background instead of standing out

文法句型

in + adjective + relief + against + background

stand out / come into / throw into + relief

用法筆記

Can be used literally (visual contrast) or figuratively (a problem or difference becoming obvious). Frequently appears in fixed phrases: in sharp/clear/stark/strong relief. The figurative use ('the issue came into stark relief') is very common in news and academic writing.

常見錯誤

The mountain was in relief against the sky.
The mountain stood out in sharp relief against the sky.
💡the phrase almost always needs an adjective (sharp, clear, stark, vivid) and a verb like 'stand out', 'come into', or 'throw into'.

relief — 形容詞