Help Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com

verb (used without object). to give aid; be of service or advantage: Every little bit helps. noun. the act of helping; aid or assistance; relief or succor. TopDefinitionsSynonymsQuizRelatedContentExamplesBritishIdiomsAndPhrases🍎ElementaryLevelThisshowsgradelevelbasedontheword'scomplexity.help[help]SHOWIPA/hɛlp/PHONETICRESPELLINGNewWordListWordListSaveThisWord!Seesynonymsfor:help/helped/helping/helpsonThesaurus.com🍎ElementaryLevelThisshowsgradelevelbasedontheword'scomplexity.verb(usedwithobject)togiveorprovidewhatisnecessarytoaccomplishataskorsatisfyaneed;contributestrengthormeansto;renderassistanceto;cooperateeffectivelywith;aid;assist:Heplannedtohelpmewithmywork.Letmehelpyouwiththosepackages.tosave;rescue;succor:Helpme,I'mfalling!tomakeeasierorlessdifficult;contributeto;facilitate:Theexerciseofrestraintiscertaintohelptheachievementofpeace.tobeusefulorprofitableto:Herquickmindhelpedhercareer.torefrainfrom;avoid(usuallyprecededbycanorcannot):Hecan'thelpdoingit.torelieveorbreaktheuniformityof:Smallpatchesofbrightcolorcanhelpanotherwisedullinterior.torelieve(someone)inneed,sickness,pain,ordistress.toremedy,stop,orprevent:Nothingwillhelpmyheadache.toservefoodtoattable(usuallyfollowedbyto):Helphertosalad.toserveorwaiton(acustomer),asinastore.SEEMORESEELESSverb(usedwithoutobject)togiveaid;beofserviceoradvantage:Everylittlebithelps.nountheactofhelping;aidorassistance;relieforsuccor.apersonorthingthathelps:Shecertainlyisahelpinanemergency.ahiredhelper;employee.abodyofsuchhelpers.adomesticservantorafarmlaborer.meansofremedying,stopping,orpreventing:Thethingisdone,andthereisnohelpforitnow.OlderUse.helping(def.2).SEEMORESEELESSinterjection(usedasanexclamationtocallforassistanceortoattractattention.)VerbPhraseshelpout,toassistinaneffort;beofaidto:Herrelativeshelpedoutwhenshebecameill.SEEMOREDEFINITIONSSEEFEWERDEFINITIONSOTHERWORDSFORhelp1encourage,befriend;support,second,uphold,back,abet.3further,promote,foster.6ameliorate.7alleviate,cure,heal.12support,backing.SeesynonymsforhelponThesaurus.comOPPOSITESFORhelp3,11hinder.7afflict.13hindrance.SeeantonymsforhelponThesaurus.comQUIZQUIZYOURSELFONOPPOSITESOFREDBEFOREYOUTURNSCARLETWehaveachallengethatwillmakeyoublush:doyouknowthemanywordsandwaystodescribetheoppositeofred?Question1of7WhichofthefollowingcolorsisusedtosymbolizeAIR?whitegreenredTAKETHEQUIZTOFINDOUTIdiomsabouthelpcannot/can'thelpbut,tobeunabletorefrainfromoravoid;beobligedto:Still,youcan'thelpbutadmireher.helponeselfto,toserveoneself;takeaportionof:Helpyourselftothecake.totakeorusewithoutaskingpermission;appropriate:Theyhelpedthemselvestothefarmer'sapples.Helpyourselftoanyofthebookswe'regivingaway.sohelpme,(usedasamildformoftheoath“sohelpmeGod”)Iamspeakingthetruth;onmyhonor:That'sexactlywhathappened,sohelpme.SEEMOREIDIOMSSEEFEWERIDIOMSOriginofhelpFirstrecordedbefore900;MiddleEnglishhelpen,OldEnglishhelpan;cognatewithGermanhelfensynonymstudyforhelp1.Help,aid,assist,succoragreeintheideaoffurnishinganotherwithsomethingneeded,especiallywhentheneedcomesataparticulartime.Helpimpliesfurnishinganythingthatfurthersone'seffortsorrelievesone'swantsornecessities.Aidandassist,somewhatmoreformal,implyespeciallyafurtheringorsecondingofanother'sefforts.Aidimpliesamoreactivehelping;assistimplieslessneedandlesshelp.Tosuccor,stillmoreformalandliterary,istogivetimelyhelpandreliefindifficultyordistress:Succorhiminhishourofneed.usagenoteforhelp21.Cannot/can'thelpbuthasbeencondemnedbysomeastheungrammaticalversionofcannot/can’thelpfollowedbythepresentparticiple:Youcan’thelpbutadmireher.Youcan’thelpadmiringher.However,theidiomCannot/can'thelpbutissocommoninalltypesofspeechandwritingthatitmustbecharacterizedasstandard.OTHERWORDSFROMhelphelp·a·ble,adjectiveun·der·help,nounun·help·a·ble,adjectiveun·helped,adjectivewell-helped,adjectiveSEEMORERELATEDFORMSSEEFEWERRELATEDFORMSWordsnearbyhelphelophyte,Helot,helotism,helotomy,helotry,help,helper,helpercell,helperTcell,helpervirus,helpfulDictionary.comUnabridged BasedontheRandomHouseUnabridgedDictionary,©RandomHouse,Inc.2022Wordsrelatedtohelpadvice,aid,benefit,comfort,cooperation,guidance,hand,service,support,use,worker,back,bolster,boost,cooperate,encourage,further,maintain,promote,pushHowtousehelpinasentenceInthatsituation,hadtherebeenanumbertocalltogetthehelpofsocialworkers,theresultmighthavebeendifferent,accordingtoSchwartz.ThepolicingreformsintheBreonnaTaylorsettlement,explained|FabiolaCineas|September17,2020|VoxDon’ttrytofixaballotwithtapeorcorrectionfluidifyoumessup,anddon’tbeembarrassedtoaskforhelp.ProPublica’sPandemicGuidetoMakingSureYourVoteCounts|bySusieArmitage|September16,2020|ProPublicaEighty-fivepercentofrestaurantswillprobablycloseifwedon’tgetsomehelpfromthegovernment.TomColicchioHopes(andFears)COVID-19WillChangetheRestaurantIndustry|PallabiMunsi|September16,2020|OzyExtrastep—checkwhetheryourstructureddataactuallyworkswiththehelpofGoogle’sRichResultTest.8majorGooglerankingfactors—SEOguide|SponsoredContent:SEOPowerSuite|September15,2020|SearchEngineLandThelegislationofferedlimitedhelptotenantsoftheGalleria.TheBigCorporateRescueandtheAmericaThat’sTooSmalltoSave|byLydiaDePillis,JustinElliottandPaulKiel|September12,2020|ProPublicaThatstrategyhasbeenusedinsomecasestohelpdetermineGMOpolicy.Anti-FluoridersAreTheOGAnti-Vaxxers|MichaelSchulson|July27,2016|DAILYBEASTIntheend,theclaritythatcomesfrommomentsofhorrorcanhelpusrecommittodeeperprinciples.WhyWeStandWithCharlieHebdo—AndYouShouldToo|JohnAvlon|January8,2015|DAILYBEASTSadly,itappearstheAmericanpressoftendoesn'tneedanyoutsidehelpwhenitcomestocensoringthemselves.PoliticiansOnlyLoveJournalistsWhenThey'reDead|LukeO’Neil|January8,2015|DAILYBEASTAWallStreetpersonshouldnotbeallowedtohelpoverseetheDodd-Frankreforms.AntonioWeissIsNotPartoftheProblem|SteveRattner|January7,2015|DAILYBEASTFindingthecommonbondsthathelpusrealizethatwehavefarmoreincommonthanthatwhichseparatesus.In2015,Let’sTryforMoreCompassion|GeneRobinson|January4,2015|DAILYBEASTAndtotellthetruth,shecouldn'thelpwishinghecouldsee,sohecouldmakethegamelivelier.TheTaleofGrandfatherMole|ArthurScottBaileyThenwithyourvictoriouslegionsyoucanmarchsouthandhelpdrivetheYankeeinvadersfromtheland.TheCourieroftheOzarks|ByronA.DunnInfact,exceptforRamona'shelp,itwouldhavebeenaquestionwhetherevenAlessandrocouldhavemadeBabaworkinharness.Ramona|HelenHuntJacksonTerrordrivesyouon;fatecoercesyou;youcan'thelpyourself,andmydelightistomaketheplungeterrible.Checkmate|JosephSheridanLeFanuThereisalwaysinthebackgroundofmyminddreadlesthelpshouldreachtheenemybeforewehavedonewithSedd-el-Bahr.GallipoliDiary,VolumeI|IanHamiltonSEEMOREEXAMPLESSEEFEWEREXAMPLESBritishDictionarydefinitionsforhelphelp/(hɛlp)/verbtoassistoraid(someonetodosomething),espbysharingthework,cost,orburdenofsomethinghehelpedhisfriendtoescape;shehelpedhimclimboutoftheboattoalleviatetheburdenof(someoneelse)bygivingassistance(tr)toassist(aperson)togoinaspecifieddirectionhelptheoldladyupfromthechairtopromoteorcontributetotohelpthereliefoperationstocauseimprovementin(asituation,person,etc)cryingwon'thelp(tr;precededbycan,could,etc;usuallyusedwithanegative)toavoidorrefrainfromwecan'thelpwonderingwhoheis(usuallyfollbyit)topreventorberesponsibleforIcan'thelpitifitrainstoalleviate(anillness,etc)(tr)toserve(acustomer)canIhelpyou,madam?(trfollbyto)toserve(someonewithfood,etc)(usuallyinthephrasehelponeself)mayIhelpyoutosomemorevegetables?;helpyourselftopeastoprovide(oneselfwith)withoutpermissionhe'sbeenhelpinghimselftomoneyoutofthepettycashcannothelpbuttobeunabletodoanythingelseexceptIcannothelpbutlaughhelpapersonoffwithtoassistapersonintheremovalof(clothes)helpapersononwithtoassistapersonintheputtingonof(clothes)sohelpmeonmyhonournomatterwhatsohelpme,I'llgetrevengeSEEMORESEELESSnountheactofhelping,orbeinghelped,orapersonorthingthathelpsshe'sagreathelpahelpingapersonhiredforajob;employee,espafarmworkerordomesticservant(functioningassingular)severalemployeescollectivelyameansofremedythere'snohelpforitSEEMORESEELESSinterjectionusedtoaskforassistanceSeealsohelpoutDerivedformsofhelphelpable,adjectivehelper,nounWordOriginforhelpOldEnglishhelpan;relatedtoOldNorsehjalpa,Gothichilpan,OldHighGermanhelfanCollinsEnglishDictionary-Complete&Unabridged2012DigitalEdition ©WilliamCollinsSons&Co.Ltd.1979,1986©HarperCollins Publishers1998,2000,2003,2005,2006,2007,2009,2012OtherIdiomsandPhraseswithhelphelpInadditiontotheidiomsbeginningwithhelphelpinghandhelponeselfhelpoutalsosee:can'thelpbuteverylittlebithelpsnotifonecanhelpitsohelpmeSEEMOREORIGINSSEEFEWERORIGINSTheAmericanHeritage®IdiomsDictionary Copyright©2002,2001,1995byHoughtonMifflinHarcourtPublishingCompany.PublishedbyHoughtonMifflinHarcourtPublishingCompany.WORDOFTHEDAYgensdumondepluralnoun|[zhahndy-mawnd]SEEDEFINITIONFEEDBACK