help.
Action given to provide assistance; aid.
Meaning & usage
Action given to provide assistance; aid.
I need some help with my homework.
Something or someone which provides assistance with a task.
He was a great help to me when I was moving house.
Documentation provided with computer software that could be accessed using the computer.
I can't find anything in the help about rotating an image.
A study aid.
I've printed out a list of math helps.
One or more people employed to help in the maintenance of a house or the operation of a farm or enterprise.
The help is coming round this morning to clean.
Most of the hired help is seasonal, for the harvest.
Correction of deficits, as by psychological counseling or medication or social support or remedial training.
His suicide attempts were a cry for help.
He really needs help in handling customer complaints.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English help, from Old English help (“help, aid, assistance, relief”), from Proto-Germanic *helpō (“help”), *hilpiz, *hulpiz, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-, *ḱelp- (“to help”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hälpe (“help”), West Frisian help (“help”), Cimbrian hölfe (“help”), Dutch hulp (“help”), German Hilfe (“help, aid, assistance”), Luxembourgish Hëllef (“help”), Mòcheno hilf (“help”), Vilamovian hyłf (“help”), Yiddish הילף (hilf, “help”), Danish hjælp (“help”), Faroese and Icelandic hjálp (“help”), Norwegian Bokmål hjelp (“help”), Norwegian Nynorsk hjelp, hjølp (“help”), Swedish hjälp (“help”).
To provide assistance to (someone or something).
He helped his grandfather cook breakfast.
To assist (a person) in getting something, especially food or drink at table; used with to.
It is polite to help your guests to food before serving yourself.
Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge.
To contribute in some way to.
The white paint on the walls helps make the room look brighter.
If you want to get a job, it helps to have some prior experience.
To provide assistance.
She was struggling with the groceries, so I offered to help.
Please, help!
To avoid; to prevent; to refrain from; to restrain (oneself). Usually used in nonassertive contexts with can.
We couldn’t help noticing that you were late.
We couldn’t help but notice that you were late.
To do something on the behalf of someone.
Can you help me buy some groceries?
To assist or sympathize with (the speaker); used to express displeasure, disappointment or exasperation.
Help lah.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English helpen, from Old English helpan (“to help, aid, assist, benefit, relieve, cure”), from Proto-West Germanic *helpan, Proto-Germanic *helpaną (“to help”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-, *ḱelp- (“to help”). Cognate with North Frisian halep, heelpe, help (“to help”), Saterland Frisian hälpe (“to help”), West Frisian helpe (“to help”), Cimbrian hölfan (“to help”), Dutch helpen (“to help”), German helfen (“to help”), Low German helpen, hölpen, hülpen (“to help”), Luxembourgish hëllefen (“to help”), Yiddish העלפֿן (helfn, “to help”), Danish hjælpe (“to help”), Faroese and Icelandic hjálpa (“to help”), Norwegian Bokmål hjelpe (“to help”), Norwegian Nynorsk hjelpa, hjelpe (“to help”), Swedish hjälpa (“to help”), Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐌻𐍀𐌰𐌽 (hilpan, “to help”), Lithuanian šelpti (“to help, support”).
A cry of distress or an urgent request for assistance.
— Take that, you scoundrel. — Help! Robin, help!
A way to signal uncontrollable laughter; implying the risk of dying of laughter and needing assistance.
helpppp that's too funny, did she rlly say that?
Where this word comes from
From Middle English helpen, from Old English helpan (“to help, aid, assist, benefit, relieve, cure”), from Proto-West Germanic *helpan, Proto-Germanic *helpaną (“to help”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-, *ḱelp- (“to help”). Cognate with North Frisian halep, heelpe, help (“to help”), Saterland Frisian hälpe (“to help”), West Frisian helpe (“to help”), Cimbrian hölfan (“to help”), Dutch helpen (“to help”), German helfen (“to help”), Low German helpen, hölpen, hülpen (“to help”), Luxembourgish hëllefen (“to help”), Yiddish העלפֿן (helfn, “to help”), Danish hjælpe (“to help”), Faroese and Icelandic hjálpa (“to help”), Norwegian Bokmål hjelpe (“to help”), Norwegian Nynorsk hjelpa, hjelpe (“to help”), Swedish hjälpa (“to help”), Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐌻𐍀𐌰𐌽 (hilpan, “to help”), Lithuanian šelpti (“to help, support”).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.