Alleviate

Should no others join capable to alleviate the expense.
Evelyn.

Those large bladders . . . conduce much to the alleviating of the body [of flying birds].
Ray.

The calamity of the want of the sense of hearing is much alleviated by giving the use of letters.
Bp. Horsley.

He alleviates his fault by an excuse.
Johnson.

Syn. -- To lessen; diminish; soften; mitigate; assuage; abate; relieve; nullify; allay. -- To Alleviate, Mitigate, Assuage, Allay. These words have in common the idea of relief from some painful state; and being all figurative, they differ in their application, according to the image under which this idea is presented. Alleviate supposes a load which is lightened or taken off; as, to alleviate one's cares. Mitigate supposes something fierce which is made mild; as, to mitigate one's anguish. Assuage supposes something violent which is quieted; as, to assuage one's sorrow. Allay supposes something previously excited, but now brought down; as, to allay one's suffering or one's thirst. To alleviate the distresses of life; to mitigate the fierceness of passion or the violence of grief; to assuage angry feeling; to allay wounded sensibility.