The new irrigation system helped alleviate the chronic water shortages that had plagued the region's farmers for decades.
新的灌溉系统帮助缓解了困扰该地区农民数十年的长期缺水问题。
Which choice best defines “alleviate”?
B — Make better, ease. “alleviate” means make better, ease.
Which word means “make better, ease”?
B — alleviate. “alleviate” means make better, ease.
alleviate — make better, ease. In Chinese: 缓解，减轻.
alleviate is pronounced /əˈliːvieɪt/.
The new irrigation system helped alleviate the chronic water shortages that had plagued the region's farmers for decades. (新的灌溉系统帮助缓解了困扰该地区农民数十年的长期缺水问题。)
ease, relieve, mitigate — all close in meaning to alleviate (make better, ease).
aggravate, worsen — each the opposite of alleviate (make better, ease).
Yes. alleviate is on the SAT Prep Easy list — mid-frequency academic words that do get tested. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.
al(to)+lev(light)+iate(verb).