Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - help

~1 v 1 »MAKE POSSIBLE OR EASIER« to make it possible or easier for someone to do something by doing part of their work or by giving them something they need  (If there's anything I can do to help, just give me a call. | She devoted her life to helping the poor and sick. | help sb (to) do sth)  (We all helped him fill out the application form. | Andy said he would help us to move the furniture. | help sb with sth)  (Do you mind helping me with this a minute? | help (to) do sth)  (Part of my job is to help organize conferences. | help sb into/out of/across etc (=help someone move to a particular place))  (He was so drunk we had to help him into the taxi. | help sb on/off with sth (=help someone put on or take off a piece of clothing))  (Here, let me help you on with your coat.) 2 »BE GOOD FOR« to make it easier for something to develop or be improved  (The fall in oil prices should help economic development. | help sb (to) do sth)  (All this arguing isn't going to help us win the election.) 3 »MAKE BETTER« to make a situation better, easier, or less painful  (Crying won't help. | It helped a lot to know that someone understood how I felt. | help sth)  (A couple of aspirin might help your headache.) 4 Help! spoken used to call people and ask them to help you when you are in danger 5 can't help it a) to not be responsible for something unpleasant or annoying  (I can't help it if she's late, can I?) b) to be unable to stop doing something, or change the way that you behave  (I always get angry with him, I just can't help it.) 6 can't/couldn't help doing sth to be unable to stop yourself from doing something  (I can't help thinking that we've made a big mistake. | I couldn't help hearing what you just said.) 7 can't/couldn't help but do sth if you cannot help but do something, it is impossible for you not to do it  (I couldn't help but notice the bruise she had under her eye.) 8 can't help yourself to be unable to stop yourself from doing something you should not do  (Sue doesn't always mean to be so rude but sometimes she just can't help herself.) 9 help yourself (to sth) a) to take something that you want, such as food, without asking permission  (Please help yourself to more; there's plenty of everything.) b) informal to steal something  (Obviously he had been helping himself to the money.) 10 help sb to sth to serve someone food or drink  (Can I help you to some dessert?) 11 God help him/them etc spoken used to say that something bad may happen to someone  (If you trust that man with a secret, God help you.) 12 a helping hand help and support  (give sb a helping hand)  (She's been giving me a helping hand with the children.) 13 it can't be helped spoken used to say that there is nothing you can do to change an unpleasant situation  (It's going to make a terrible noise, but never mind. It can't be helped.) 14 not if I can help it spoken used to say that you are not going to do something  ("Are you going to the meeting this afternoon?" "Not if I can help it.") 15 so help me (God) used when making a serious promise, especially in a court of law  ( USAGE NOTE: HELP WORD CHOICE help, assist, give/lend a hand, help out, come to somebody's aid/assistance, aid, give/send aid Help and assist can both describe people or institutions helping each other do a job. However, assist is more formal and often suggests that the person assisting is doing a simple or unimportant part of what has to be done My company assists businesses in all their office cleaning requirements. | You will assist the administrative officer with day-to-day organization (Note that assist can never mean `attend' or `be present at'). In more informal English people often use give/lend a hand or help out, especially where there is something practical to do and not enough people to do it Can you give me a hand with the drinks? | I sometimes lend a hand/help out at the old folk's home. If someone is in danger or trouble, you may help them or more formally come to their aid/assistance My car's broken down, can you help? | If you get into difficulties, the lifeguard will come to your assistance. If a person, charity, or government helps with money or other necessary things, aid (formal) or often give/sendaid may be used Many projects are aided by Oxfam. | Aid will be sent to the area as soon as possible. Informally help would be used Please help the homeless. GRAMMAR Help (but not assist) is often followed by a verb in the to or basic form He helped me (to) pass my exam (=I passed NOT He helped me passing... . But note that the expression can't help... meaning `cannot stop yourself...' is only followed by the -ing form of a v I couldn't help laughing. You help/assist/aid someone, not to them. ) @~ out help out phr v 1 to help someone who is busy by doing some of their work for them  (Is there anything I can do to help out? | help sb out)  (If you haven't got time to finish I'll help you out.) 2 to give help and support to someone who has problems  (He was obviously in some kind of trouble, but I didn't know how I could help him out.) @ ~2 n 1 the action of helping someone by doing part of their work or by showing them how to do it  (If I need any help, I'll call you.)  (Do you want any help with that?) 2 the fact of being useful or making something easier to do  (That map isn't much help. | with the help of)  (We got it open with the help of a knife. | be of great/little/no help)  (I'm sorry I haven't been of much help to you.) 3 be a (big/great/real) help also be a lot of help a) to be very useful, or give a lot of help  (Thanks. You've been a big help.) b) often used jokingly to say that something is not useful, or someone is not helping you  (A lot of help you've been! Why did you bother to come?) 4 help which people can give to save someone from danger or difficulty  (She screamed at them to go and get help.) 5 advice, treatment, information, or money which is given to people who need it  (A lot of these children need professional help.)  (You may be able to get help with the rent.) beyond help (=no longer able to be helped or saved)  (I'm afraid the patient is beyond help.) 6 the help AmE someone's servant or servants