to help someone out
182
1.3
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
ayudar a
- Look, I appreciate you helping me out with Robin.
At the more mild side are the do gooders who waste time and maybe some money trying to just help someone out.
- At the more mild side are the do gooders who waste time and maybe some money trying to just help someone out.
Examples
-
Look, I'll do anything to help us out of here.
-
You want me to help you out?
-
What do you say I help you out?
-
Could you help me out?
-
Hi Mike, I just wanted to say thanks for helping us out with our new place.
Blog text (16) -
I'm just trying to help you out.
-
I'd love to help you out.
-
My grandmother’s not doing so well, so I took a year off from school to help her out.
-
Spiggy here has very generously offered to help me out with clearing any faults.
Blog text (1) -
I was really grateful when my friend offered to help me out with my project.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To make a task or situation easier for someone
707
1.8
To help someone with something or to clap to show appreciation
605
1.0
To help someone by making a task easier
499
1.0
To do part of a task for someone who has trouble doing it
486
1.0
To do something for someone who cannot do it alone
443
2.7
To help and support someone when they are going through a hard time
438
1.0
To give someone support to do a task
354
3.0
Help someone or show evidence for an idea
28
1.3
To help someone with a task
28
2.7
To give help to someone during a difficult time
26
3.5
To help someone when they need it most
21
2.9
Make someone or something move forward faster
16
3.1
To help someone who is in trouble or danger
6
2.7
To give someone support with a task or problem
5
2.9
To give help to people and countries in need
3
3.1
To help someone when they are in trouble
1
9.6
To give help to someone in a difficult or dangerous time
1
7.1
Help or act for others when they need support
Antonyms
How Helpful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to assist or provide support' is directly derivable from 'help' (to assist) + 'someone' (a person); 'out' here functions as a particle that emphasizes providing assistance/completion rather than creating an idiomatic, unpredictable sense. This compositional pattern is common in English (and has parallels in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase help someone out may come from the image of pulling a person out of a hole or out of the water, where you help them and get them out of danger. So it means 'to assist' someone, especially when they are in trouble.