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Synonyms for help

noun

  1. Assistance

    advice, cooperation, guidance; see aid 1.

  2. Employees

    aides, representatives, hired help; see assistant, staff 2.

  3. Physical relief

    maintenance, sustenance, nourishment; see relief 4, remedy 2.

verb

  1. To aid

    aid, assist, abet, succor, uphold, advise, encourage, stand by, cooperate, intercede for, patronize, befriend, accommodate, work for, back up, maintain, sustain, prop, benefit, bolster, lend a hand, do a service, see through, do one's part, cheer, give a hand, be of use, come to the aid of, bail out, be of some help, help along, do a favor, promote, endorse, sanction, back, advocate, abet, stimulate, uphold, second, further, work for, stick up for*, take under one's wing*, go to bat for*, side with*, give a lift*, boost*, take in tow*, pitch in*, set to*; see also support 2.

    Antonyms oppose*, rival, combat.

  2. To assist in recovery

    attend, nourish, doctor*; see heal 1, nurse, revive 2, treat 3.

  3. To serve at table

    wait on, accommodate, tend to; see serve 4.

  4. To improve

    better, correct, ease; see improve 1.

help is the simplest and strongest of these words meaning to supply another with whatever is necessary to accomplish his or her ends or relieve his or her wants; aid and assist are somewhat more formal and weaker, assist esp. implying a subordinate role in the helper and less need for help she assisted him in his experiments; succor suggests timely help to one in distress to succor a besieged city

cannot help but

be compelled to, be obliged to, cannot fail to, have to; see must.

cannot help oneself

be compelled to, have a need to, be the victim of circumstance, be the victim of habit; see must.

so help me God

as God is my witness, by God, I swear; see oath 1.

See help in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Synonyms

See help in Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus II

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