rescue

verb res·cue \ ˈres-(ˌ)kyü \

Definition of rescue

rescued; rescuing

transitive verb

:to free from confinement, danger, or evil :save, deliver: such as

a :to take (someone, such as a prisoner) forcibly from custody

b :to recover (something, such as a prize) by force

c :to deliver (a place under siege) by armed force

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rescuable

play \-ə-bəl\ adjective

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rescue

noun

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rescuer

noun

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Examples of rescue in a Sentence

The survivors were rescued by the Coast Guard.
an all-out effort to rescue a beached whale

Recent Examples of rescue from the Web

A lull in Harvey's heavy rains allowed water to recede in southwest Louisiana communities where hundreds of people were rescued from floodwaters overnight.

— jeff amy and michael kunzelman, chicagotribune.com, "Harvey flooding western Louisiana on anniversary of Katrina," 29 Aug. 2017
In two videos, women are rescued via baskets lowered from Coast Guard helicopters.

— leada gore, AL.com, "Dramatic videos show Houston storm victims plucked from flood waters, off rooftops," 29 Aug. 2017
Ohio Task Force 1, part of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, so far has rescued 10 people from the flooding outside of Houston, the task force said on social media.

— sarah brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati firefighters assist with Hurricane Harvey rescues in Texas," 28 Aug. 2017
A tree-trimmer who became stranded near the top of a tall palm tree in Rancho Bernardo was rescued today in a heart-dropping operation by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

— city news service, Rancho Bernardo, "Tree-trimmer rescued from Rancho Bernardo palm tree," 27 July 2017
To donate materials or to ask Pocius to rescue an animal, contact her at 708-262-9805.

— patti ahern, Daily Southtown, "Opossum, where art thou?," 26 July 2017
Before Melisandre can sacrifice Gendry to the Lord of Light, Davos Seaworth rescues Robert Baratheon's only heir from Dragonstone and puts him in a rowboat headed for King's Landing.

— matt miller, Esquire, "A Game of Thrones Fan Favorite Is Officially Returning in Season Seven," 14 July 2017
Some of Richards' fellow bad guys, or heels, rescued him but the damage was done.

— jeffrey lee puckett, The Courier-Journal, "Progressive Liberal wins match but still has to wear diapers after alt-right ambush," 10 July 2017
Dittman called any number of traditional New York City car services to try to rescue Lindsay.

— william d. cohan, The Hive, "Is Arianna Huffington Worse for Uber Than Travis Kalanick?," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rescue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of rescue

Middle English rescouen, rescuen, from Anglo-French rescure, from re- + escure to shake off, from Latin excutere, from ex- + quatere to shake

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

rescue Synonyms

Synonyms

bail out, bring off, deliver, save

Antonyms

adventure, compromise, endanger, gamble (with), hazard, imperil, jeopardize, peril, risk, venture

Related Words

salvage; emancipate, free, liberate, manumit, release; disentangle, extricate; recover

Synonym Discussion of rescue

rescue, deliver, redeem, ransom, reclaim, save mean to set free from confinement or danger. rescue implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action.