Alleviate
Etymology
From Late Latin "alleviare" (to lighten), from "ad-" (to) and "levis" (light) — the same "levis" behind "levity" and "elevate." To alleviate is literally to lighten a load, not to lift it away.
verb · /uh-LEE-vee-ayt/
To make a burden, pain, or difficulty less severe without removing it.
What it names
It captures partial relief precisely — the honest verb for helping when a cure is out of reach.
Example
A fan and a cold cloth alleviated the fever’s discomfort while the infection ran its course.
Related idea
To alleviate is to ease a symptom or hardship; to cure is to remove its cause — painkillers alleviate, antibiotics cure.