disaster | an act that has disastrous consequences |
easing easement alleviation relief | the act of reducing something unpleasant (as pain or annoyance), he asked the nurse for relief from the constant pain |
relief | the act of freeing a city or town that has been besieged, he asked for troops for the relief of Atlanta |
relief | aid for the aged or indigent or handicapped, he has been on relief for many years |
relief succor succour ministration | assistance in time of difficulty, the contributions provided some relief for the victims |
alto relievo alto rilievo high relief | a sculptural relief in which forms extend out from the background to at least half their depth |
bas relief low relief basso relievo basso rilievo | a sculptural relief in which forms extend only slightly from the background, no figures are undercut |
contour map relief map | a map having contour lines through points of equal elevation |
relief relievo rilievo embossment sculptural relief | sculpture consisting of shapes carved on a surface so as to stand out from the surrounding background |
safety valve relief valve escape valve escape cock escape | a valve in a container in which pressure can build up (as a steam boiler), it opens automatically when the pressure reaches a dangerous level |
relief printing letterpress | printing from a plate with raised characters |
calamity catastrophe disaster tragedy cataclysm | an event resulting in great loss and misfortune, the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity, the earthquake was a disaster |
easing moderation relief | a change for the better |
relief alleviation assuagement | the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced, as he heard the news he was suddenly flooded with relief |
disaster area | a region whose population is affected by a general disaster |
reliever relief pitcher fireman | a pitcher who does not start the game |
stand-in substitute relief reliever backup backup man fill-in | someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult), the star had a stand-in for dangerous scenes, we need extra employees for summer fill-ins |
relief | (law) redress awarded by a court, was the relief supposed to be protection from future harm or compensation for past injury? |
relief ease | the condition of being comfortable or relieved (especially after being relieved of distress), he enjoyed his relief from responsibility, getting it off his conscience gave him some ease |
catastrophe disaster | a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune, lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe for our school system, his policies were a disaster |
respite rest relief rest period | a pause for relaxation, people actually accomplish more when they take time for short rests |