💡 Alleviate — Less Painful SAT Vocabulary
ALLEVIATE most nearly means: A) intensify; B) fabricate; C) scrutinize; D) ease. Answer inside. 👉️
📚️ Definition of Alleviate
Alleviate (verb): To make suffering, a problem, or a difficult situation less intense or more bearable; to partially relieve or reduce the severity of something without removing it entirely. Example: a medication that alleviates pain.
🗣️ Pronunciation of Alleviate
IPA: /əˈliː.vi.eɪt/ (See IPA key)
Respelling: uh-LEE-vee-ayt
📰 Examples of Alleviate
Here are some examples of the word alleviate:
The city approved a plan to alleviate traffic congestion by adding dedicated bus lanes along the main thoroughfares, intending to mitigate gridlock.
Even 20 minutes of moderate exercise can alleviate symptoms of anxiety.
Laughter, like music, has the remarkable capacity to alleviate suffering across all cultures.
Quiz answer: D, ease. Note: Ease can be used as a verb.
🧠 Summary of Alleviate
Definition: Alleviate means to make something painful or difficult less severe; alleviate doesn’t eliminate, it lightens.
Examples: Taking ibuprofen to alleviate a headache, improving education to alleviate poverty, or telling a joke to alleviate tension.
SAT relevance: Alleviate is a high-frequency SAT word that commonly appears in reading passages about science, policy, or social issues. Expect it in vocabulary-in-context questions where you must distinguish it from stronger words like “eliminate” or “eradicate.”