relief (redirected from Reliefs)

breathe a sigh of relief 

1. Lit. to sigh in a way that signals one's relief that something has come to an end. At the end of the contest, we all breathed a sigh of relief.

2. Fig. to express relief that something has ended. With the contract finally signed, we breathed a sigh of relief as we drank a toast in celebration.

See also: breathe, sigh

throw something into sharp relief

Fig. [for something] to make something plainly evident or clearly visible. The dull, plain background threw the ornate settee into sharp relief. The red vase was thrown into sharp relief against the black background.

See also: sharp, throw

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light relief

something that is entertaining or relaxing after something that is serious or boring A lively argument between the two main speakers provided a bit of light relief in an otherwise dull conference.

See also: light

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breathe a sigh of relief

to feel comfortable again after worrying about something Coastal residents breathed a sigh of relief when the hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm. Her children breathed a quiet sigh of relief when she made arrangements to get help.

See also: breathe, sigh