help

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English

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Pronunciation

Etymology 1

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

help (usually uncountable; plural helps)

  1. (uncountable) Action given to provide assistance; aid.
    I need some help with my homework.
  2. (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.
  3. Documentation provided with computer software, etc. and accessed using the computer.
    I can't find anything in the help about rotating an image.
  4. (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.
  5. (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

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

For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.

Synonyms
  • (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
terms derived from help (noun)
Translations
action given to provide assistance
person or persons who provides assistance with some task
person employed to help in the maintenance of a house
textual support of a software application

Etymology 2

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

help (third-person singular simple present helps, present participle helping, simple past helped or (archaic) holp, past participle helped or (archaic) holpen)

  1. (transitive) To provide assistance to (someone or something).
    He helped his grandfather cook breakfast.
  2. (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.
  3. (intransitive) To provide assistance.
    She was struggling with the groceries, so I offered to help.
    Please, help!
  4. (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
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
transitive: provide assistance to (someone or something)
contribute in some way to
intransitive: provide assistance
transitive: avoid or prevent

Statistics

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Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

help

  1. first-person singular present indicative of helpen
  2. imperative of helpen
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Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *helpō.

Noun

help f

  1. help
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Last modified on 19 May 2013, at 16:00