Alleviators

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals or things that provide relief or lessen pain and suffering
2. entities or mechanisms that alleviate distress or burdens experienced by individuals
3. agents or tools that help to ease discomfort and improve situations of hardship

Etymology: "Alleviators" is simply the plural of "alleviator," a noun formed in English by adding the agent suffix "-or" to the verb "alleviate." The verb "alleviate" comes from the Late Latin "alleviare," meaning to lighten or make lighter, built from the Latin prefix "ad-" and "levis," meaning light in weight. So the core idea is literal lightness: to alleviate something is to make a burden feel less heavy. The suffix does the rest of the work. The "-or" ending, which English borrowed through Old French and Latin from the Latin agent suffix "-tor," marks a person or thing that performs an action. Adding it to "alleviate" produces a name for whatever lightens a load, whether a medicine, a comforting friend, or a policy.

Synonyms: relievers, soothers, mitigators, palliators, calmers

Antonyms: aggravators, exacerbators, intensifiers, provokers, worseners