help
give help or assistance; be of service
How often you will meet it
Rank 309 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 66,470 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.032% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 500 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
verb
- give help or assistance; be of service also: assist, aid Everyone helped out during the earthquakeCan you help me carry this table?
- improve the condition of also: aid These pills will help the patient
- be of use also: facilitate This will help to prevent accidents
- abstain from doing; always used with a negative also: help oneself I can't help myself--I have to smokeShe could not help watching the sad spectacle
- help to some food; help with food or drink also: serve I served him three times, and after that he helped himself
- contribute to the furtherance of This money will help the development of literacy in developing countries
help in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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But I can’t help detesting my relations.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1
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Every fiber of his sensitive nature shrank from asking help.
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch · Alice Caldwell Hegan Rice · Chapter 1
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It seemed to him it would help if that should happen today.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1
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For his life John could not help adding, "And Scaife, you forget Scaife?"
The Hill: A Romance of Friendship · Horace Annesley Vachell · Chapter 1
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She never let slip a chance to help any one in any way.
Emily Fox-Seton · Frances Hodgson Burnett · Chapter 1