Which should you use, relief or relieve? The noun relief means a feeling of happiness you get because something unpleasant has not happened or has ended. Relieve is a verb meaning to make pain less unpleasant, to make a problem less serious, to make a situation less boring.
| Incorrect: |
He hoped to find something to relief his boredom. |
| Correct: |
He hoped to find something to relieve his boredom. |
| Incorrect: |
When I saw her, I felt a great relieve. |
| Correct: |
When I saw her, I felt a great relief. |
