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good Samaritan

good Samaritan

15 3.7
A person who helps strangers in trouble without expecting payment
  • noun
  • /ɡʊd səˈmærɪtən/
translation icon : buen samaritano
  • WALA - The case against two people accused of attacking some Good Samaritans will go to the Grand Jury.
  • just a good Samaritan
  • two good Samaritans
  • play good Samaritan

Examples

  • I like to think we are all good Samaritans.

    Blog text (19)
  • The minute I saw you, I said to myself, "There's a good Samaritan."

  • Here, we are all the good Samaritans.

  • Do you think that makes you a good Samaritan?

  • Wrong day to be a good Samaritan.

  • I could use a good samaritan.

  • The victim was a good Samaritan who tried to help.

    Blog text (5)
  • If you have an elderly neighbor, be a good Samaritan and check on his or her status.

    Blog text (3)
  • We have "good Samaritan" laws wherein one is required to come to a person's aid where reasonably possible.

    Blog text (19)
  • After the accident, a good Samaritan stopped to help the injured driver.

Synonyms

angel
vsgood Samaritan
  • Informal
304 1.0

A very kind person who helps others

is a real act of helping strangers in distress, not only praise
helper
vsgood Samaritan
79 1.0

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

implies voluntary generous help to strangers in urgent need
giver
vsgood Samaritan
56 1.0

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

involves active assistance to people in real difficulty, not just gifts
Samaritan
vsgood Samaritan
50 4.2

A person who helps others in need

is about generous, unsolicited help to strangers without expecting reward
gooder
vsgood Samaritan
  • UK
27 9.7

A person who often helps other people

is the standard idea for generous, unpaid help to strangers
humanitarian
vsgood Samaritan
23 4.2

A person who cares about people in need and helps them

focuses on immediate personal help to individuals in distress
volunteer
vsgood Samaritan
7 3.5

Not paid for doing a job

is spontaneous aid to strangers in distress rather than organized roles
altruist
vsgood Samaritan
3 6.7

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

focuses specifically on generous help to strangers in distress
almsgiver
vsgood Samaritan
9.3

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

offers direct personal help in emergencies rather than only donations
assister
vsgood Samaritan
3.0

A person who helps another with a task or need

emphasizes generous, unsolicited aid to strangers rather than routine support

Antonyms

84 3.4

A person who watches an event but does not take part

How Helpful

savior
  • US
194 3.2
good Samaritan
15 3.7
benefactor
46 4.6
helper
79 1.0
bystander
84 3.4

Surface Forms

Morphology

good + Samaritan

The meaning is directly built from 'good' (morally positive) modifying 'Samaritan' (a helper/compassionate person), so the combined sense — a particularly kind or helpful person who assists others, often strangers — is compositional. Although the expression has a Biblical origin, that cultural background isn't needed for understanding if a learner already knows both constituent words; similar constructions exist in many languages.

Etymology

The phrase good Samaritan comes from a Bible story. One popular story says a man was robbed and left hurt on the road, and many people passed by, but a Samaritan stopped, cleaned his wounds, and paid for his care. So today a 'good Samaritan' means someone who helps a stranger without expecting a reward.