assist

[ uh-sist ]

/ əˈsɪst /

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See synonyms for: assist / assisted / assisting / assists on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to give support or aid to; help: Please assist him in moving the furniture.

to be associated with as an assistant or helper.

verb (used without object)

to give aid or help.

to be present, as at a meeting or ceremony.

noun

Sports.

Baseball. a play that helps to put out a batter or base runner.
Basketball, Ice Hockey. a play that helps a teammate in gaining a goal.
the official credit scored for such plays.

a helpful act: She finished her homework without an assist from her father.

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR assist

1 sustain, abet, befriend; back, promote.

See synonyms for assist on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR assist

1 hinder, frustrate.

See antonyms for assist on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of assist

1505–15; from Latin assistere “to stand by, help,” equivalent to as- as- + sistere “to (cause to) stand” (si- reduplicative prefix + -ste- (variant of sta- stand) + -re infinitive suffix)

synonym study for assist

1. See help.

OTHER WORDS FROM assist

as·sist·er; Chiefly Law, as·sis·tor, nounas·sist·ive, adjectivenon·as·sist·er, nouno·ver·as·sist, verb

re·as·sist, verb (used with object)un·as·sist·ed, adjectiveun·as·sist·ing, adjectivewell-as·sist·ed, adjective

Words nearby assist

assimilative, ass in a sling, have one's, Assiniboin, Assiniboine, Assisi, assist, assistance, assistance animal, assistance dog, assistant, assistant professor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use assist in a sentence

Over his seven-plus seasons starting, he ranks eighth among all players in potential assists while leading the league in total passes.
Draymond Green Isn’t Scoring, But He’s Doing Everything Else For The Warriors|James L. Jackson|February 4, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Hawley's January fundraising got a huge assist from an independent political group, the Senate Conservatives Fund, which told Axios last week that it had already bundled more than $300,000 in contributions for the senator since the Capitol attack.
Hawley rakes in grassroots cash after Capitol attack|Lachlan Markay|February 2, 2021|Axios
Jakub Vrana, who was moved down to the fourth line, was awarded the primary assist on the play and finished with two assists, responding well to his demotion.
Capitals let a three-goal lead slip away in their first regulation loss of the season|Samantha Pell|February 2, 2021|Washington Post
While the NBA’s reliance on threes has increased each year since the 2011-12 season, it took an assist from the NCAA rules committee for the pros to finally overtake the amateurs.
Did Moving The Arc Bring The 3-Pointer To A Breaking Point?|Jake Lourim|February 1, 2021|FiveThirtyEight

Jokic’s points, rebounds and assists averages haven’t been matched by any player since Oscar Robertson, a 6-5 guard, in 1961-62.
Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic are bringing centers back into the NBA MVP conversation|Ben Golliver|January 30, 2021|Washington Post
The FBI has also been searching its records for any information that could assist the French investigation, a spokesperson added.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre|Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Not her own—but Landrieu did provide an assist to a man doing a keg stand at Louisiana State University.
Mary Landrieu-Bill Cassidy Louisiana Senate Race Heads to a Runoff|Tim Mak|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Distant cousins of the Bordens are on hand to assist the cast of 20 people, some of whom are very dedicated guests.
Would You Stay in Lizzie Borden’s Ax-Murder House?|Nina Strochlic|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Companies across the country donated supplies and equipment to assist him with his expedition.
Victor Mooney’s Epic Adventure for His Dead Brother|Justin Jones|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The social worker will “assist staff and public with counseling and psychosocial support and communications.”
$10,000 a Month for Ebola Fighters|Abby Haglage|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The emperor Nicholas of Russia declared, by ukase, his purpose to assist Austria.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Still another kind of war credit bank was created on the co-operative plan to assist the middle and lower classes.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
He stood swaying the umbrella-handle about, looking down at it, as if that would assist his decision.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
To assist the amateur and collector in this pursuit is the object of the present little work.
Violins and Violin Makers|Joseph Pearce
An English battery came thundering down the road to take up a fresh position and assist in covering the retreat.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for assist

assist

/ (əˈsɪst) /

verb

to give help or support to (a person, cause, etc); aid

to work or act as an assistant or subordinate to (another)

ice hockey to help (a team-mate) to score, as by passing the puck

(intr foll by at) archaic to be present; attend

noun

US and Canadian the act of helping; aid; assistance

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

sport

a pass or other action by a player which enables another player to score a goal
a credit given for such an action

Derived forms of assist

assister, noun

Word Origin for assist

C15: from French assister to be present, from Latin assistere to stand by, from sistere to cause to stand, from stāre to stand

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

assist

OTHER WORDS FOR assist

OPPOSITES FOR assist

Origin of assist

synonym study for assist

OTHER WORDS FROM assist

Words nearby assist

Words related to assist

How to use assist in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for assist

Derived forms of assist

Word Origin for assist