Thesaurus

help

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of help

1 an act or instance of helping

I could use your help getting this tire back on the car

Synonyms of help

abetment, aid, assist, assistance, backing, boost, hand, helping hand, leg up, lift, support

Words Related to help

advancement, encouragement, facilitation, forwarding, furtherance, furthering, nurturance

benefaction, patronage, promotion, sponsorship

advice, care, counsel, guidance, mentoring

attendance, attention, hand-holding, service

beneficence, charity, favor, kindness, philanthropy

assuagement, palliation, relief, succor

Near Antonyms of help

constraint, frustration, inhibition, interference, obstruction, repression, restraint

deterrence, discouragement

Antonyms of help

2 a thing that helps

the computer is a great help for writing reports

Synonyms of help

advantage, aid, asset, benefit, boon

Words Related to help

hand, lift, pick-me-up

support, sustenance

blessing, godsend, windfall

recourse, refuge, resort, resource

Near Antonyms of help

constraint, inhibitor, liability, obstacle, obstruction, restraint, stranglehold

Antonyms of help

disadvantage, drawback, encumbrance, hindrance, impediment, minus

3 a body of persons at work or available for work

itʼs so hard to get good help these days

Synonyms of help

force, labor force, manpower, personnel, pool, staff, workforce

Words Related to help

labor, proletariat, rank and file

band, company, crew, gang, outfit, party, squad, team

employee (also employe), helper, hireling, worker

help

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of help

1 to provide (someone) with what is useful or necessary to achieve an end

offered to help her widowed father when he moved into an apartment

Synonyms of help

abet, aid, assist, back, backstop, prop (up), support

Words Related to help

advance, ease, facilitate, forward, foster, further, launch

champion, endorse (also indorse), patronize, promote, sponsor

attend, care (for), comfort, minister (to), succor

bolster, boost, buttress, reinforce (also reenforce)

advise, counsel, guide, mentor, nurture

bail out, deliver, rescue, save

embolden, encourage, hearten

benefit, favor, oblige, profit, serve

Phrases Synonymous with help

bear a hand, to stand one in good stead

Near Antonyms of help

balk, bar, block, constrain, hamper, handicap, hold back, impede, inhibit, obstruct, restrain, strangle

baffle, foil, frustrate, inconvenience, interfere, oppose, sabotage, thwart

desert, disappoint, fail, let down

discourage, dishearten

repress, retard, stifle, straiten, stunt

damage, harm, hurt, injure

Antonyms of help

2 to make more bearable or less severe

the new ointment didnʼt help Joshʼs sunburn one bit

Synonyms of help

allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, relieve, soothe

Words Related to help

abate, lighten, moderate, soften, temper

cure, heal, remedy

amend, correct, emend, fix, mend, rectify, reform, repair

ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine

Near Antonyms of help

harm, hurt, impair, injure

heighten, intensify, sharpen

Antonyms of help

aggravate, exacerbate

3 to keep from happening by taking action in advance

they couldnʼt help the way things turned out

Synonyms of help

avert, forestall, head off, obviate, preclude, prevent, stave off

Words Related to help

anticipate, provide

negate, neutralize, nullify

baffle, balk, checkmate, deter, foil, frustrate, thwart

bar, block, hamper, hinder, impede, interfere (with), retard, stall

deflect, fend (off), stop, ward (off)

avoid, circumvent, dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, shake, shirk, shun

forbid, inhibit, prohibit

arrest, check, halt, stop

compensate (for), counteract, counterbalance, make up (for), offset

Near Antonyms of help

abet, aid, assist

ease, facilitate, smooth, unclog

advance, cultivate, encourage, forward, foster, further, nurture, promote

allow, leave, let, permit

4 to provide with something useful or desirable

being independently wealthy certainly helped him during his years as a struggling young artist

Synonyms of help

advantage, avail, benefit, profit, serve

Words Related to help

succeed, work (for)

better, improve

content, delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy

Near Antonyms of help

damage, harm, hurt, impair, injure

afflict, distress, upset

5 to make better

some minor revisions would help this essay immensely

Synonyms of help

ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine, upgrade

Words Related to help

correct, emend, rectify, reform, remediate, remedy

edit, fine-tune, redraft, refurbish, rehab, rehabilitate, revamp, revise, rework

beef (up), boost, fortify, intensify, reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen

fine, hone, polish

retouch, touch up

Near Antonyms of help

damage, endamage, harm, hurt, impair, injure, spoil, tarnish, vitiate

blemish, blight, deface, disfigure, flaw, mar

diminish, lessen, lower, reduce

Antonyms of help

Synonym Discussion of help

improve, better, help, ameliorate mean to make more acceptable or to bring nearer a standard. improve and better are general and interchangeable and apply to what can be made better whether it is good or bad.

- measures to further improve the quality of medical care
- immigrants hoping to better their lot

help implies a bettering that still leaves room for improvement.

- a coat of paint would help that house

ameliorate implies making more tolerable or acceptable conditions that are hard to endure.

- tried to ameliorate the lives of people in the tenements

Learn More about help

See words that rhyme with help Dictionary: Definition of help Spanish Central: Translation of help Nglish: Translation of help for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of help for Arabic speakers

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