assist
Americanverb (used with object)
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assists,
present (3rd person singular)
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assisted,
past participle, past
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assisting
present participle
verb (used without object)
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assists,
present (3rd person singular)
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assisted,
past participle, past
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assisting
present participle
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to give aid or help.
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to be present, as at a meeting or ceremony.
noun
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assists
plural
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Sports.
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Baseball. a play that helps to put out a batter or base runner.
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Basketball, Ice Hockey. a play that helps a teammate in gaining a goal.
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the official credit scored for such plays.
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a helpful act.
She finished her homework without an assist from her father.
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Machinery. an electrical, hydraulic, or mechanical means of increasing power, efficiency, or ease of use.
a luxury automobile equipped with assists for brakes, steering, windows, and seat adjustment.
verb
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to give help or support to (a person, cause, etc); aid
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to work or act as an assistant or subordinate to (another)
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ice hockey to help (a team-mate) to score, as by passing the puck
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archaic to be present; attend
noun
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the act of helping; aid; assistance
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baseball the act of a player who throws or deflects a batted ball in such a way that a team is enabled to put out an opponent
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sport
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a pass or other action by a player which enables another player to score a goal
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a credit given for such an action
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Synonym Usage
See help.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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assisternoun
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nonassisternoun
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overassistverb
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reassistverb (used with object)
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assistiveadjective
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unassistedadjective
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unassistingadjective
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well-assistedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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assistsimple
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assistssimple
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have assistedperfect
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has assistedperfect
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am assistingprogressive
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are assistingprogressive
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is assistingprogressive
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have been assistingperfect progressive
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has been assistingperfect progressive
Past
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assistedsimple
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had assistedperfect
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was assistingprogressive
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were assistingprogressive
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had been assistingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of assist
First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin assistere “to stand by, help,” from as- as- ( def. ) + sistere “to cause to stand, stop,” derivative of stāre “to stand” ( see also stand ( def. ))
Explanation
You run up the field, pass the ball to the forward and she scores! It’s your third assist of the game. On and off the soccer field, to assist is to help or contribute. The English word assist came to us in the early 15th century from the French word assister, meaning to "to stand by or help.” The French word is pronounced "ah-sis-tay" and is not to be confused with "a sister." Even if your sister is helpful.
Vocabulary lists containing assist
Defense, Dribble, and Dunk: Basketball Lingo
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Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
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Herbert Hoover on "Rugged Individualism" (1928)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Or that according to an MIT study, students who used AI to assist in writing essays could recall almost none of what they had written.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
While AI can generate candidate molecules and assist in trial design, it cannot test drugs on non-human primates or accelerate the biological timeline required for human observation.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
They promised to assist Victoria Police "in any way we can".
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Late during the third quarter against Denver, Mamukelashvili dazzled with a three-pointer, a cutting dunk and a defensive rebound that led to an assist to Quentin Grimes for a three-pointer — all in 99 seconds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
It slowed to a stop beside the wood platform in front of the theater, constructed especially to assist carriage riders in getting out of their vehicles and avoiding the muddy street.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
However, last season Fernandes was named the Premier League's player of the year after a record 21 assists in a season.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Keaton Wagler, the Clippers’ No. 5 pick in the draft, posted 15 points with five assists and five rebounds off the bench.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
The 41-year-old James, entering a record-extending 24th season in the league with his fourth team after his summer move from the LA Lakers, also racked up seven assists as his new side triumphed 106-100.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
The Ghana international has made 10 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring two goals and providing three assists.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
I rack up fifteen assists while Terrell scores thirty-two points.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
"We thank the swift assistance of bystanders and the dedicated health workers who assisted her, and police for their response."
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
Thankfully, the same capacity for collaboration that assisted our species’ development throughout history could now avert this catastrophe.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
Now, as Kodiak assisted autonomy operator, he can remotely honk the horn of an autonomous truck on the road, if needed, from the command center.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
Her income covers her day-to-day expenses, but if she ever needs assisted living or a lot of in-home care, she’d have to draw on her savings.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
For a long message, the leader, assisted by the circle of sitters, guessed at words to help the communication along.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
A 37-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman have also been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
As evidence, he invokes, throughout the book, numerous instances of one nation waging war on another, or assisting U.S. forces against rival tribes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
They’ll do everything from bolting together Cybercabs to mowing your lawn, from tending bars to caring for the elderly and, naturally, assisting in the colonization of the moon and Mars.
From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2026
Separately, after stopping a vehicle in Bedfordshire, the 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The following year, Robert returned to England at the age of 17, not only penniless but honour-bound to repay the expenses his tutor had incurred for him in Geneva and assisting with his journey home.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
