- present participle of help.
helping
Americannoun
-
helpings
plural
-
the act of a person or thing that helps.
-
a portion of food served to a person at one time.
That's his third helping of ice cream.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of helping
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; see origin at help, -ing 1, -ing 2
Vocabulary lists containing helping
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:
They occur naturally in the body, helping dictate processes such as repairing tissue.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Shares of Dell have roughly quadrupled in price this year, with Lenovo’s earnings report helping to drive the latest bout of momentum for the PC and server maker.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Super Micro had said in a preliminary report last month that it saw new orders reach more than $60 billion in the June quarter, helping propel its backlog to record levels for fiscal 2026.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
The teen told animal control officers that he was helping the owners move out of their home when the incident happened, according to the petition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
“Well, thanks for helping me out,” I yelled as I started running—down the hill, over the brook, through the orchard, and all the way home.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
Restaurants tend to charge more for extra helpings of meat, and can price innovations, like Starbucks’s protein cold foam at around $2, at a premium.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Those are solid results, considering the funds’ big helpings of bonds—the safety-first shock absorbers that make up a big part of their appeal to cautious investors.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2025
Superstar players, fanatical fans, regular helpings of drama and the sinister side of the game - the Superclasico has it all.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2025
Large helpings of camp and melodrama propel grisly tales of ghoulish behavior.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2024
The food was delicious; even Hermione and Ron, who were full to bursting with Honeydukes sweets, managed second helpings of everything.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
