Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Good Samaritan

Good Samaritan

15 4.3
A person who helps strangers without expecting anything in return
  • noun
  • /ɡʊd səˈmɛrɪtən/
translation icon : buen samaritano
  • On Monday, Sadie was found at a busy intersection by a Good Samaritan who brought her to a nearby veterinarian.
  • the parable of the Good Samaritan

Now the the good neighbor comes, comes to the aid of the person next door, the Good Samaritan to the stranger by the side of the road.

Examples

  • Where are the individuals full of generosity, like the Good Samaritan?

    Blog text (30)

  • She was recognized as a Good Samaritan after volunteering to help stranded travelers.

  • It's called being a Good Samaritan.

    Doc Holliday's Revenge (2014)

  • Looks like it's my day to be the good Samaritan.

    Russian Roulette (1975)

  • Would you be a good Samaritan?

    Oscar and Lucinda (1997)

  • You are a regular Good Samaritan.

    The Thing Called Love (1993)

  • Hey, Good Samaritan, do you like kids?

    Bandslam (2009)

  • Our law does not require people to be Good Samaritans.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Do you recognize the Good Samaritan?

    Funky Monkey (2004)

  • "Gives me the chance to be the Good Samaritan," Larry offered.

    Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

angel
vsGood Samaritan
  • Informal
304 1.0

A very kind person who helps others

means actual selfless help to strangers rather than just praise or label
donor
vsGood Samaritan
230 3.0

A person who gives money or things to help a charity

implies direct, personal help to strangers rather than formal contributions
helper
vsGood Samaritan
79 1.0

A person who does tasks for others, for example at events

tends to help strangers selflessly rather than routine task assistance
giver
vsGood Samaritan
56 1.0

A person who offers money or help to others without asking for anything back

focuses on helping strangers personally without expecting anything back
Samaritan
vsGood Samaritan
50 4.2

A person who helps others in need

focuses on acting without expecting anything in return
philanthropist
vsGood Samaritan
30 7.0

A person who gives money to help people or charities

leans toward immediate selfless aid to strangers rather than organized giving
humanitarian
vsGood Samaritan
23 4.2

A person who cares about people in need and helps them

highlights helping strangers directly and personally rather than broad reform
altruist
vsGood Samaritan
3 6.7

A person who cares about others and helps them without expecting anything back

emphasizes immediate selfless help to strangers rather than general concern
almsgiver
vsGood Samaritan
9.3

A person who offers money, food, or other help to people in need

focuses on spontaneous personal help without expecting anything in return

How Helpful

Good Samaritan
15 4.3
benefactor
46 4.6
helper
79 1.0
bystander
84 3.4

Surface Forms

Good Samaritan singular
Good Samaritans plural

Morphology

good + Samaritan

The phrase combines 'good' (morally excellent) with 'Samaritan' (a helper of others), so a learner who knows both constituents can directly infer 'a person who helps others selflessly.' Although the label has a Biblical origin, its compositional meaning and cross‑linguistic equivalents (e.g. Spanish 'buen samaritano') make it immediately understandable to B1 learners.

Etymology

Good Samaritan comes from a Bible story about a traveler who was badly hurt and left on the road, and a Samaritan, a person from a different group, stopped to help when others walked past. That strong image of someone helping a stranger is why 'Good Samaritan' now means a person who helps others 'without expecting anything in return'.