alleviate
v. B2 Upper Intermediate US //əˈɫiviˌeɪt// UK //ɐlˈiːvɪˌeɪt// al·le·vi·ate
v. to make pain, a problem, or a difficult situation less severe. You use it when something bad is still there, but it is not as bad as before.
v. to make suffering, a problem, or a negative condition less severe; to provide relief. Transitive — always takes a direct object.
This medicine helps alleviate the headache.
The new policy aims to alleviate traffic congestion in the city center during rush hour.
While the treaty did not resolve the underlying political tensions, it did alleviate the immediate humanitarian crisis by allowing aid trucks to cross the border.
Borrowed from Late Latin alleviatus, past participle of alleviāre (“to lighten; to alleviate”).
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.