rescue

verb

res·​cue ˈre-(ˌ)skyü 

rescued; rescuing

transitive verb

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

They were rescued from the burning building by firefighters.

… a volunteer group that rescues and nurtures injured and orphaned wildlife …

—Australian Geographic

(figurative) … the acanthus leaf into which the light fixture on the hall ceiling is set was rescued from a curbside trash heap.

—Barbara Deane

: 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

rescuable

ˈre-(ˌ)skyü-ə-bəl 

adjective

rescue noun

Historians are wary of the notion that, at a critical point in history, a heroic figure, galloping to the rescue, snatches victory from the jaws of defeat …

—James MacGregor Burns

rescuer noun

Synonyms

• bail out
• bring off
• deliver
• save

Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

rescued the crew of a sinking ship

deliver implies release usually of a person from confinement, temptation, slavery, or suffering.

delivered his people from bondage

redeem implies releasing from bondage or penalties by giving what is demanded or necessary.

job training designed to redeem school dropouts from chronic unemployment

ransom specifically applies to buying out of captivity.

tried to ransom the kidnap victim

reclaim suggests a bringing back to a former state or condition of someone or something abandoned or debased.

reclaimed long-abandoned farms

save may replace any of the foregoing terms; it may further imply a preserving or maintaining for usefulness or continued existence.

an operation that saved my life

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 on the Web

The victory rescued Reagan's campaign, and demonstrated his popularity with southern conservative voters, donors, and strategists — many, like Helms, recently converted Democrats — who relished Reagan’s anti-statist rhetoric and despised Ford as an establishment moderate. —TIME, 12 Apr. 2024

The men were missing for three days before U.S. Coast Guard and Australian naval units rescued them. —USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024

The ship rescued the sailors and their equipment, and returned them to their home island Polowat Atoll, more than 100 miles away, according to the release. —Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2024

Officers also rescued a child through a bedroom window. —Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024

Nacho Flores’ overtime winner effectively rescued the Kansas City Comets on Monday night at Cable Dahmer Arena. —Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2024

Dialogue in both storylines eddies with 1980s references, including to Live Aid, Baby Jessica (rescued from a well), Health and Human Services secretary Margaret M. Heckler, the 1986 U.S. airstrikes against Libya and the 1985 surgery on Ronald Reagan’s colon. —Celia Wren, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024

The 1,100-container capacity APL Qingdao lost some of its controls late Friday night and had to be rescued from the New York Harbor by the U.S. Coastguard, reports CBS News. —Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024

In the end, rescuing a vulnerable, expectant mother outweighed everything else. —Rosa Flores, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rescue

• come/go to the rescue of
• rescue mission
• search and rescue team

Kids Definition

rescue

verb

res·​cue ˈres-kyü 

rescued; rescuing

: to free from danger or evil : save

rescue noun

rescuer noun