Relief is the feeling you get when something difficult, worrying, or painful finally ends or gets better. It's that wonderful moment when you've been holding your breath about something and can finally breathe easy again. When you finish a challenging test you studied hard for, you might feel a wave of relief wash over you. When your parents' car pulls into the driveway after they're running late, relief replaces your worry.

Relief also means help given to people who are suffering or in trouble. During natural disasters, relief workers bring food, water, and supplies to affected communities. After a flood or earthquake, governments and charities organize relief efforts to help people rebuild their lives.

In art and geography, relief refers to shapes that stand out from a flat surface. A relief map shows mountains and valleys as raised areas you can feel with your fingers. Ancient sculptors carved bas-reliefs into temple walls, creating scenes where figures project slightly from the stone background, like coins where presidents' faces stick up from the surface.

The word can also describe someone who takes over a job temporarily: a relief pitcher replaces the starting pitcher in baseball, and a relief teacher fills in when your regular teacher is absent.