helped; helping; helps
1
: to give assistance or support to (someone) : to provide (someone) with something that is useful or necessary in achieving an end
How can I help you?
He helps the children with their homework.
Can you help me get this jar open?
She helped him (walk) up/down the stairs.
2
3
4
5
: to serve with food or drink especially at a meal
told the guests to help themselves
6
: to take something for (oneself) without permission
helped himself to the car keys
1
: to give assistance or support
—often used with out
helps out with the housework
2
: to be of use or benefit
every little bit helps
see also helping hand, helping verb
plural helps
1
: the act or an instance of doing or supplying something to make it easier for another to complete a task, deal with a problem, etc. : aid, assistance
I could use some help with the dishes.
We heard cries for help coming from the house.
We couldn't have done this without your help.
I'm glad I could be of help. [=I'm glad I could help.]
see also self-help
2
: a source of aid
She is a help to our efforts.
You've been a great help to us.
The instructions were no help (at all).
He's been more of a hindrance than a help.
Turner … and Mackinley … are big helps with their younger siblings.—
Julia Lipscombe
see also help desk, help menu, help screen
Julia Lipscombe3
4
plural usually help
a
: employee
help wanted
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in constructionMost of the restaurant's summer help is/are college students.
b
often offensive
: a domestic worker
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
Synonyms
Examples of help in a Sentence
Verb
Don't blame me: I was only trying to help!
Help! Somebody call the police!
She took an aspirin to help her headache.
Humor often helps a tense situation.
It's not much money, but every little bit helps.
Noun
He thanked us for our help.
I could use some help with the dishes.
We could hear shouts for help coming from the house.
He's been more of a hindrance than a help.
See More
Recent Examples on the WebBostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
Also, the gauge of the metal (thickness) can help determine the durability of a wok over time.
—L.a. Hubilla, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2023
Vos, who was college roommates with Reince Priebus, one of Trump’s former White House chiefs of staff, joined the legislature in 2005 and rose to prominence a few years later by helping to pass Act 10, a law that demolished collective-bargaining rights for public employees in the state.
—Dan Kaufman, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2023
Nevertheless, the discoveries helped lead to the creation of a new national holiday in Canada, Truth and Reconciliation Day, according to the National Post Report, while Canadian flags were ordered to be kept at half-mast for a record-breaking five consecutive months.
—Michael Lee, Fox News, 10 Sep. 2023
Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson provided the vast majority of them, but Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are among the stars of the sport that have helped drive the win total ever higher.
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 10 Sep. 2023
Essentially, drinking adequate amounts of cow's milk helps your child grow and reach their full height.8
Dairy also contains vitamin A, which helps to promote healthy vision and immune function.
—Erin Smith, Parents, 10 Sep. 2023
Five unemployed late-night hosts have joined forces to help their shows' employees during Hollywood's dual strikes by writers and actors.
—Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023
Miller got a job at 16 for Bausch and Lomb in London to help support his family.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2023
Laura Crimaldi, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Feb. 2023
Police departments in Carroll County could get help from the state with funding the high cost of outfitting officers with body cameras, if a bill introduced in the Maryland General Assembly is passed.
—Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 12 Feb. 2023
The two agreed that Bauman should get help at a sobering center.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2023
Taxpayers can get free help from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 11, March 11, April 8 and May 13 in such offices in dozens of states and the District of Columbia.
—Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2023
There are several ways to get help filing your taxes.
—Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 6 Feb. 2023
That’s when content teams should get some help from AI tools in handling the details.
—John Hall, Forbes, 5 Feb. 2023
How to get help: In the US, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 2 Feb. 2023
But the humans get help from an unusual ally: wild bottlenose dolphins.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2023
See More
Verb
These steps will help match you with a child or sibling group that your family will fit well with.
—BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
Also, the gauge of the metal (thickness) can help determine the durability of a wok over time.
—L.a. Hubilla, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2023
Vos, who was college roommates with Reince Priebus, one of Trump’s former White House chiefs of staff, joined the legislature in 2005 and rose to prominence a few years later by helping to pass Act 10, a law that demolished collective-bargaining rights for public employees in the state.
—Dan Kaufman, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2023
Nevertheless, the discoveries helped lead to the creation of a new national holiday in Canada, Truth and Reconciliation Day, according to the National Post Report, while Canadian flags were ordered to be kept at half-mast for a record-breaking five consecutive months.
—Michael Lee, Fox News, 10 Sep. 2023
Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson provided the vast majority of them, but Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are among the stars of the sport that have helped drive the win total ever higher.
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 10 Sep. 2023
Essentially, drinking adequate amounts of cow's milk helps your child grow and reach their full height.8
Dairy also contains vitamin A, which helps to promote healthy vision and immune function.
—Erin Smith, Parents, 10 Sep. 2023
Five unemployed late-night hosts have joined forces to help their shows' employees during Hollywood's dual strikes by writers and actors.
—Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023
Miller got a job at 16 for Bausch and Lomb in London to help support his family.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2023
Noun
But in the meantime, those who know her are left to ponder an illness that appears to have consumed the caring mother, in spite of her efforts to get help.
—Laura Crimaldi, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Feb. 2023
Police departments in Carroll County could get help from the state with funding the high cost of outfitting officers with body cameras, if a bill introduced in the Maryland General Assembly is passed.
—Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 12 Feb. 2023
The two agreed that Bauman should get help at a sobering center.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2023
Taxpayers can get free help from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 11, March 11, April 8 and May 13 in such offices in dozens of states and the District of Columbia.
—Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2023
There are several ways to get help filing your taxes.
—Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 6 Feb. 2023
That’s when content teams should get some help from AI tools in handling the details.
—John Hall, Forbes, 5 Feb. 2023
How to get help: In the US, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 2 Feb. 2023
But the humans get help from an unusual ally: wild bottlenose dolphins.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'help.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
Middle English, from Old English helpan; akin to Old High German helfan to help, and perhaps to Lithuanian šelpti
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of help was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing help
Articles Related to help
Dictionary Entries Near help
Cite this Entry
“Help.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/help. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
help
1 of 2 verb2
: remedy entry 2, relieve
rest helps a cold
3
a
: to keep from
couldn't help laughing
b
: prevent sense 1
it couldn't be helped
4
: to serve with food or drink
help yourself
help
2 of 2 noun1
: an act or instance of helping : aid, assistance
give help
thanked us for our help
2
: the state of being helped : relief
a situation beyond help
3
: a person or a thing that helps
a help in time of trouble
4
: a hired helper or a body of hired helpers
hire new help
More from Merriam-Webster on help
Nglish: Translation of help for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of help for Arabic Speakers
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