help
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Pronunciation [edit]
Etymology 1 [edit]
From Middle English, from Old English help (“help, aid, assistance, relief”), from Proto-Germanic *hilpiz, *hulpiz, *helpō (“help”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-, *ḱelp- (“to help”). Cognate with West Frisian help (“help”), Dutch hulp (“help”), Swedish hjälpa (“to help”), German Hilfe (“help, aid, assistance”), Danish hjælp (“help”), Norwegian hjelp (“help”).
Noun [edit]
help (usually uncountable; plural helps)
- (uncountable) Action given to provide assistance; aid.
- I need some help with my homework.
- (usually uncountable) Something or someone which provide assistance with a task.
- He was a great help to me when I was moving house.
- I've printed out a list of math helps.
- Documentation provided with computer software, etc. and accessed using the computer.
- I can't find anything in the help about rotating an image.
- (usually uncountable) 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.
- (uncountable, euphemistic) 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.
- "He's a real road-rager." / "Yup, he really needs help, maybe anger management."
Usage notes [edit]
The sense "people employed to help in the maintenance of a house" is usually an uncountable mass noun. A countable form - "a hired help", "two hired helps" - is attested, but now less common.
Quotations [edit]
For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.
Synonyms [edit]
- (action given to provide assistance): aid, assistance
- (person or persons who provide assistance):
- (person employed to help in the maintenance of a house):
Derived terms [edit]
terms derived from help (noun)
Translations [edit]
action given to provide assistance
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person or persons who provides assistance with some task
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person employed to help in the maintenance of a house
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textual support of a software application
Etymology 2 [edit]
From Middle English helpen, from Old English helpan (“to help, aid, assist, benefit, relieve, cure”), from Proto-Germanic *helpaną (“to help”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-, *ḱelp- (“to help”). Cognate with West Frisian helpe (“to help”), Low German helpen (“to help”), Dutch helpen (“to help”), German helfen (“to help”), Danish hjælpe (“to help”), Norwegian hjelpe (“to help”).
Verb [edit]
help (third-person singular simple present helps, present participle helping, simple past helped or (archaic) holp, past participle helped or (archaic) holpen)
- (transitive) To provide assistance to (someone or something).
- He helped his grandfather cook breakfast.
- (transitive) 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.
- (intransitive) To provide assistance.
- She was struggling with the groceries, so I offered to help.
- Please, help!
- (transitive) 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.
- She’s trying not to smile, but she can’t help herself.
- Can I help it if I'm so beautiful?
- Can I help it that I fell in love with you?
- —Are they going to beat us? —Not if I can help it!
Usage notes [edit]
- Use 3 is often used in the imperative mood as a call for assistance.
- In uses 1, 2 and 3, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. It can also take the bare infinitive with no change in meaning.
- In use 4, can't help is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing) or, with but, the bare infinitive.
- For more information, see Appendix:English catenative verbs
Synonyms [edit]
- (provide assistance to): aid, assist, come to the aid of, help out
- (contribute in some way to): contribute to
- (provide assistance): assist
Derived terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
transitive: provide assistance to (someone or something)
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contribute in some way to
intransitive: provide assistance
transitive: avoid or prevent
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Statistics [edit]
Dutch [edit]
Pronunciation [edit]
- Rhymes: -ɛlp
Verb [edit]
help
Old English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From Proto-Germanic *helpō.
Noun [edit]
help f
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English euphemisms
- English verbs
- English control verbs
- English phrasebook
- Dutch verb forms
- Old English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Old English nouns
- 200 English basic words
