easy
Can you help me carry this bag?
What does Help mean?
Help means to support someone or make something easier; it can also name that support or call for it urgently.
Dictionary definition
To give support, make something easier or better, contribute to a result, or serve food; help is also support or a useful person or thing, and Help! is a call for urgent aid.
Example sentences
Help in a sentence
medium
The diagram was a great help, and slow breathing helped me stay calm.
hard
After helping herself to some soup, Noor could not help smiling at the warm welcome.
Writing practice
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Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Help
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
Which meaning belongs to help?
Help can describe assistance, improvement, or contributing to a result.
Practice 2
What does I couldn't help laughing mean?
Can't or couldn't help doing something means being unable to control or stop it.
Practice 3
What does help yourself to some fruit mean?
Help yourself to is a polite invitation to take food or drink; without permission, the phrase can describe taking something improperly.
Practice complete
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Help
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WordHelp.
Partverb, noun, interjection.
MeaningHelp means to support someone or make something easier; it can also name that support or call for it urgently.
ExampleExample: Can you help me carry this bag?
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Synonyms
Words like Help
Antonyms
Opposite words
Synonym practice
Want to practice help synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "Please help your partner carry the books," then compare close word choices. Practice help synonyms.
Word family
Help word family
Base word
help
verb
helps
The present-tense form used with he, she, or it.
verb
helped
The past-tense and past-participle form.
noun
helping
The continuing verb form, or a portion of food.
noun
helper
A person or thing that helps.
adjective
helpful
Useful or willing to help.
adjective
helpless
Unable to act or manage without help.
Related words
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Student support
Understand Help
Hint for students
Look after help: help with or help someone do names support; can't help doing means unable to stop; help yourself to often refers to taking food or drink.
Common mix-up
Can't help laughing does not mean assisting someone; it means being unable to stop laughing. Help yourself is polite only when permission has been given.
Try it in class or at home
Students sort help examples into support, improvement, contribution, food service, inability to stop, and emergency call, then write a safe example of help out.
Teacher prompt
Compare giving help, something that helps, a call of Help!, can't help doing, help out, and help yourself to food. Ask which grammar pattern signals each meaning.
Learning activities
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Sentence Builder
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Explore · Spelling
Spell Hive
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Context Clue Challenge
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