HELP Synonyms: 307 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'help' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of help are ameliorate , better , and improve . While all these words mean "to make more acceptable or to bring nearer a standard," help implies a bettering that still leaves room for improvement. // a coat of paint would help that house

Q: In what contexts can 'ameliorate' take the place of 'help'?

Although the words ameliorate and help have much in common, ameliorate implies making more tolerable or acceptable conditions that are hard to endure. // tried to ameliorate the lives of people in the tenements

Q: How do 'improve' and 'better' relate to one another, in the sense of 'help'?

Both improve and better are general and interchangeable and apply to what can be made better whether it is good or bad. // measures to further improve the quality of medical care // immigrants hoping to better their lot

help 1 of 2

verb

ˈhelp

Definition of help next

as in to assist

to provide (someone) with what is useful or necessary to achieve an end offered to help her widowed father when he moved into an apartment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to alleviate

to make more bearable or less severe the new ointment didn't help Josh's sunburn one bit

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as in to prevent

to keep from happening by taking action in advance they couldn't help the way things turned out

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as in to benefit

to provide with something useful or desirable being independently wealthy certainly helped him during his years as a struggling young artist

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as in to improve

to make better some minor revisions would help this essay immensely

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help

2 of 2

noun

as in assist

an act or instance of helping I could use your help getting this tire back on the car

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as in benefit

a thing that helps the computer is a great help for writing reports

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as in staff

a body of persons at work or available for work it's so hard to get good help these days

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word help distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of help are ameliorate, better, and improve. While all these words mean "to make more acceptable or to bring nearer a standard," help implies a bettering that still leaves room for improvement.

a coat of paint would help that house

In what contexts can ameliorate take the place of help?

Although the words ameliorate and help have much in common, ameliorate implies making more tolerable or acceptable conditions that are hard to endure.

tried to ameliorate the lives of people in the tenements

How do improve and better relate to one another, in the sense of help?

Both improve and better are general and interchangeable and apply to what can be made better whether it is good or bad.

measures to further improve the quality of medical care

immigrants hoping to better their lot

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of help

Verb

If conservatives want to help protect our system of government in this fragile moment, they should be welcomed to the fight, writes columnist Anita Chabria. —

Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025 Why Muskies Are Harder to Catch than Pike The difference in their modern-day ranges helps explain why pike are easier to catch than muskies. —

Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 20 Feb. 2025

Noun

There are several ways to get help filing your taxes. —

Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 6 Feb. 2023 That’s when content teams should get some help from AI tools in handling the details. —

John Hall, Forbes, 5 Feb. 2023 See all Example Sentences for help

Recent Examples of Synonyms for help

Verb

Notably, however, not a single one of his 16 goals was assisted by Ferreira during the USMNT forward’s 1,323 minutes.

— Jeff Rueter, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
The Binghamton Fire Department is being assisted in the investigation by the Binghamton Police Department and New York state fire investigators through the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

— Jeff Murray, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025