noun

help

HEH-uup

noun

Assistance or aid given to accomplish something.

"Thanks for your help moving the furniture."

"She offered help to the new employee on her first day."

verb

To provide assistance to someone or something.

"Can you help me carry these boxes?"

"The medicine helped reduce his fever."

To avoid or refrain from (usually with "can't").

"She couldn't help laughing at the joke."

intj

A cry used to call for urgent assistance.

""Help!" he shouted as the current pulled him under."

How to Use Help

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo assist someone, or the assistance itself.

Common mistake

"Can't help but" and "can't help doing" are both correct: "I can't help but laugh" and "I can't help laughing."

Common pairings

help out ask for help help with something call for help

Word Forms

helped past tense, holp past tense, holpen past tense, helps plural, help plural, helped plural, holp plural, helps singular, help singular, helped singular, holp singular, helpest singular, helpedst singular, helpeth singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Thanks for your _____ moving the furniture.

Etymology

From Old English help, going back to a Germanic root meaning "to help."

Synonyms

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aid assist come to the aid of help out abet befriend bestead come to someone's aid give someone a hand grip lend a hand lend a helping hand

Antonyms

hinder hurt

Related Words

take hurt spoil power detriment weak grasp oppose

Rhymes for help

kelp yelp whelp

See all rhymes for help →

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aid assist come to the aid of help out abet befriend bestead come to someone's aid give someone a hand grip lend a hand lend a helping hand