help

af-verb

help (present help, present participle helpende, past participle gehelp)

help (present)
helpende (participle present)
gehelp (participle past)

From Dutch helpen, from Middle Dutch helpen, from Old Dutch helpan, from Proto-West Germanic *helpan, from Proto-Germanic *helpaną.


help

first-person singular present indicative

(in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.


help

I need some help with my homework.

(uncountable) Action given to provide assistance; aid.

He was a great help to me when I was moving house.

Something or someone which provides assistance with a task.

I can't find anything in the help about rotating an image.

(computing) Documentation provided with computer software that could be accessed using the computer.

I've printed out a list of math helps.

In 1979 the Church published a Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Version of the Bible in English. Included in this edition were numerous helps to make a study of the scriptures more meaningful and rewarding.

c. 2002, “Scripture Study Helps”, in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

The help is coming round this morning to clean.

Most of the hired help is seasonal, for the harvest.

(usually uncountable) One or more people employed to help in the maintenance of a house or the operation of a farm or enterprise.

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.”

(uncountable) Correction of deficits, as by psychological counseling or medication or social support or remedial training.

en-noun

help (usually uncountable, plural helps)

ndihmes asistent

person or persons who provides assistance with some task

ܡܥܕܪܢܝܬܐ

məʿaddərānīṯā

shërbëtor

person employed to help in the maintenance of a house

ndihmë

textual support of a software application

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”), Dutch hulp (“help”), Low German Hülp (“help”), German Hilfe (“help, aid, assistance”), Danish hjælp (“help”), Swedish hjälp (“help”), Norwegian hjelp (“help”).

inh

Southern US, African-American Vernacular, dated


help

He helped his grandfather cook breakfast.

Risk is everywhere.[…]For each one there is a frighteningly precise measurement of just how likely it is to jump from the shadows and get you. “The Norm Chronicles”[…]aims to help data-phobes find their way through this blizzard of risks.

2013 June 22, “Snakes and ladders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 76:

(transitive) To provide assistance to (someone or something).

It is polite to help your guests to food before serving yourself.

Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge.

(transitive) To assist (a person) in getting something, especially food or drink at table; used with 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.

I've already taken three pills, but they don't seem to help my headache.

(transitive) To contribute in some way to.

She was struggling with the groceries, so I offered to help.

Please, help!

As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once.

1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.

2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, pages 72–3:

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!

She never does more than she can help.

(transitive) To avoid; to prevent; to refrain from; to restrain (oneself). Usually used in nonassertive contexts with can.

Can you help me buy some groceries?
Underlying meaning is “Can you go do the groceries for me?”

(Hong Kong) To do something on the behalf of someone.

en-verb

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

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

a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down

cate

transitive: provide assistance to (someone or something)

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 West Frisian helpe (“to help”), Dutch helpen (“to help”), Low German helpen, hölpen (“to help”), German helfen (“to help”), Danish hjælpe (“to help”), Norwegian hjelpe (“to help”), Lithuanian šelpti (“to help, support”).


help

— Take that, you scoundrel.
— Help! Robin, help! (Robin Hood (1973))

A cry of distress or an urgent request for assistance

helpppp that's too funny, did she rlly say that?

(Internet slang, text messaging) A way to signal uncontrollable laughter; implying the risk of dying of laughter and needing assistance.


help

From the bare root of helpi, following the model of English help! considered as internationally understood.


help

head

help (present help, 2nd singular helpst, 3rd singular helpt, past holp, perfect holpen)

help (present)
helpst (second-person singular)
helpt (singular third-person)
holp (past)
holpen (perfect)

From Old Frisian helpa, from Proto-West Germanic *helpan.


help

help (nominative singular)
helpa (nominative plural)
helpe (nominative plural)
helpe (accusative singular)
helpa (accusative plural)
helpe (accusative plural)
helpe (genitive singular)
helpa (genitive plural)
helpe (dative singular)
helpum (dative plural)

Middle English: help

English: help

Scots: help

From Proto-West Germanic *helpu, from Proto-Germanic *helpō.


help

first-person singular present indicative active of hjalpa


help

help c (plural helpen, diminutive helpke)

From Old Frisian helpe, from Proto-Germanic *helpō.


help

He zide hea'de help mee udh o' hoan

1867, “CASTEALE CUDDE'S LAMENTATION”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 6, page 104:

From Middle English helpen, from Old English helpan, from Proto-West Germanic *helpan.